February 24, 2026 • 30 mins
Guest host Shannon Moody is joined by three community leaders to discuss the importance of meeting families’ basic needs in efforts to mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the intersection with Bloom Kentucky’s state policy priorities. Guests include Lacy Boling, Executive Director, Paducah Cooperative Ministries; Sara Hemingway, Executive Director, Marilyn and William Young Foundation in Owensboro; and Timothy Johnson, President and CEO of the Greater Clark Foundation in Winchester.
Learn more about Bloom Kentucky at https://kyyouth.org/bloom/.
Thank you to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky for supporting the Making Kids Count Podcast. Visit AetnaMedicaidKY.com/choose to learn more about their health care benefits and programs designed with your family’s wellbeing in mind.
Support this podcast with a gift to Kentucky Youth Advocates at kyyouth.org/donate!
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SPEAKER_01 (00:02):
Welcome to the Making Kids Count Podcast,
brought to you by Kentucky YouthAdvocates, where we sit down
with policymakers, communityleaders, and youth to discuss
ideas to make Kentucky the bestplace to be young.
SPEAKER_02 (00:16):
Hi there, this is Shannon Moody, Chief Policy and
Strategy Officer at KentuckyYouth Advocates.
Thanks for tuning in to theMaking Kids Count Podcast.
Today I'm joined by some keypartners and experts in
addressing adverse childhoodexperiences and resilience
building in our communities inthe Commonwealth.
Today's focus will be on theimportance of addressing what
(00:36):
Dr.
Wendy Ellis has coined the pairof aces, which includes adverse
community environments and theconditions in which our families
live, work, and grow, which weknow can contribute to child
outcomes and child well-being.
And we're really looking forwardto having a conversation with
our folks today about what thatlooks like in a couple of
(00:58):
different communities across theCommonwealth.
So, what we know is that ACEs oradverse childhood experiences in
Kentucky are common.
And Kentucky kids need healthyenvironments to flourish.
So today we will be discussingthe role of meeting the basic
needs of our kids and familiesto help prevent and mitigate
childhood adversity and ideallygrow opportunities for positive
(01:22):
childhood experiences.
And just a note the BloomKentucky Initiative, which our
guests are engaged in in somecapacity or another, is focused
on addressing adverse childhoodexperiences, promoting positive
childhood experiences.
In this legislative session, weare advocating for several state
legislative priorities that Ithink we will touch on a little
(01:47):
bit later in the podcast.
So today I'm joined by LaceyBowling, the Executive Director
of the Paducah CooperativeMinistries, Sarah Hemingway,
Executive Director of Marilynand William Young Foundation in
Owensboro, and Timothy Johnson,Executive Director of the
Greater Clark Foundation inWinchester, Kentucky.
Really glad to have you all heretoday, and I'm excited to hear
(02:10):
from your perspective on theground and working to meet the
needs of kids and familiesacross the Commonwealth.
Before we jump in and getstarted on the content, I'd
really love for you all to giveme a quick introduction of
yourself and your organizationand the folks that you serve, in
addition to what is giving youhope or bringing you hope right
now.
So maybe we can start with Sarahand then pass it around.
SPEAKER_03 (02:34):
Sure.
Thank you, Shannon.
I am the executive director ofthe William and Maryland, the
Maryland excuse me, and WilliamYoung Charitable Foundation, and
I'm happy to be here.
What we do is as a privatelyendowed foundation, we look for
ways that we can help shore upfamilies and support them
(02:55):
through our grants, also throughadvocacy and being just really
involved with the nonprofitsthat serve our families.
That's really probably one ofour main goals as a foundation.
And I will say the one thingthat gives me hope is my
community.
We are really bound tight overhere in Owensboro and uh
(03:17):
committed to each other.
So they they continue to inspireme.
SPEAKER_02 (03:24):
Timothy, what about you?
SPEAKER_04 (03:27):
So again, hi, I'm Timothy Johnson.
Um thank you very much for theinvitation to be here.
I serve as uh president andchief executive officer of the
Greater Clark Foundation,located in Winchester, Clark
County, Kentucky, but alsoserving How and Estow County.
We like to say is where thebluegrass meets the Appalachian,
so that kind of intersectionthere.
Uh I've been on board for alittle over five months and uh
(03:50):
excited about being here todayto have this conversation.
But also what brings me hopethese days is really just the
the abundance of capacity thatI've seen in our community as
I've gone around and introducedmyself, meeting folks, uh
everyday citizens, electedofficials, and everyone in
between, just asking, you know,how can we execute our mission,
(04:11):
which is really addressing thesocial determinants of health,
all the non-medical things andgo into helping a family on
individual drive, education,transportation, good paying job.
And we also include civicengagement in that, really
helping to change mindsets.
And everyone seems to be excitedabout that and really uh wanting
to be engaged with ourfoundation.
And I'm excited to sort of helpbring some uh different energy
(04:33):
as we continue on to our I thinkwe're 15 go going on 16 years,
so we're still kind of young inthe foundation uh game, but
really hoping to help bring thisnext chapter in an exciting way
to our community.
SPEAKER_02 (04:45):
Abundance of capacity is just a beautiful way
to say that, too.
That's really awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (04:51):
Lacey, what about you?
Hey, my name is Lacey Bowling.
I'm the executive director atPaducah Cooperative Ministry.
We've been uh here for over 50years in Paducah, Western
Kentucky.
We serve McCracken Countyprimarily.
Um, we serve the homeless andthe hungry.
Um, 800 families are served outof our food pantry.
We serve sets of groceries, andthat's each month.
(05:11):
Um, we also are able to helpthose who have been homeless
before pay for utility bills orrent with down payments, things
like that.
And then we run a 48-bedtransitional shelter called
Fresh Start Village, if you'refamiliar with that program here
in western Kentucky.
Um, it's it's 48 beds, women umand children, that's uh who we
(05:34):
serve.
And uh what gives me hope, I'mnot known for hope primarily.
It's not one of my favoritethings uh in life.
I don't think it of it as astrategy.
Um I'm more into um action.
Um, but uh what has given mehope most recently with the
fallout of the Snap uh benefitsand things like that is how
(05:54):
folks came together to fill thatgap when when Snap was uh
wavering.
But um again, I I I am a deaconat my church locally, so don't
get me caught up talking abouthow hope is is a problem for me.
But uh I am inspired by the factthat folks came together to fill
that gap, and I hope that uh werealize that that's something
(06:15):
that we have to do all the timeto make sure folks are taken
care of.
So um anyway.
SPEAKER_02 (06:22):
Macy, it sounds like you all are about action and
taking action.
And I can't wait to dig intolearning a little bit more from
each of you about the ways thatyou all are supporting family
needs and the efforts to addressadverse environments where kids
grow up.
Um, Timothy, I know GreaterClark Foundation prides itself
on creating physical spaces andplaces that influence how people
(06:45):
come together and connect insupport of well-being.
Um, I think you all call itbuilt environment.
Could you speak to how theconditions that surround us
impact family and childwell-being and what you all are
doing at the Clark Foundation inClark County and um and the
surrounding counties to betteryour local environment?
(07:05):
What does that look like inaction?
SPEAKER_04 (07:07):
Absolutely.
Well, thank you for thatquestion, Shannon.
Um, one of the things that we'velearned over time is that
families don't experience thesechallenges in isolation.
You know, what's happening athome is also shaped by what's
happening around them on theirblock, in their neighborhood,
and all throughout theircommunities.
So when communities lack uh safeplaces to get together, to
gather, whether it's staplehousing, green spaces, or having
(07:30):
other such uh strong socialconnections, uh that stress
builds up.
People begin to feel isolated.
And that isolation affectsparents, it affects kids,
everyone in between, and howfamilies function from day to
day.
So what we call uh the builtenvironment, uh we pay close
attention to that because it caneither go to reinforce that
isolation or it can inviteconnections to help uh dissipate
(07:53):
that.
So here in Clark County, youknow, spaces like Legacy Girl
Park, we don't see them as justkind of nice to have amenities,
we see them as a centralinfrastructure for belonging.
They're places where differentfamilies can come together to
breathe, where young people canbe creative and really get to
know different aspects of thecommunity that they may not
otherwise have relationshipswith and really serve as that
(08:13):
that that focal point for peoplegetting to know each other and
building those authenticrelationships.
Uh during our creation of LegacyGrove Park, we put together a
youth design team because wefeel it's important that young
people are in involved and havea very important voice in places
that are built for them, notjust someone, you know, giving
them what we think they theyneed or they want.
(08:35):
So ultimately when we feel likefamilies have safe, beautiful,
accessible places to gettogether, it reduces that social
isolation we talked about.
You know, strengthensrelationships.
And those relationships arereally foundational to the work
that nonprofits and governmentand others need to do in the
community in order to help buildand really reinforce that
well-being.
(08:56):
Uh but at the same time we knowthat having beautiful places and
you know, beautiful spaces likelegacy growth isn't enough.
That's why we partner withorganizations who are working on
important issues like foodaccess, education, housing
stability, other kinds of familysupports, healthy human
services.
Because all those pieces worktogether in lockstep to help
make families stable at home.
(09:16):
Uh we're intentional aboutshaping the environments around
families and the ways thatsupport kids, support parents,
support long-term success.
Because ultimately we believethat when the environment is
healthy, families are healthier.
And when families are healthier,the whole community benefits
from that and and reaps some ofthat abundance capacity that I
mentioned earlier.
SPEAKER_02 (09:37):
Speaking of feeling inspired, I'm feeling very
inspired by the um mention ofthe youth design team.
That sounds incredible.
And it and you all are veryintentional about the ways that
you are getting feedback fromindividuals and engaging
individuals and um creating thatstability in your community,
which is um is fantastic tohear.
SPEAKER_03 (09:59):
I agree.
I agree, Timothy.
That's really smart to listen tothe youth before you build
something for them.
SPEAKER_04 (10:04):
Thank you, Sarah.
SPEAKER_03 (10:05):
Yeah, love that.
SPEAKER_02 (10:07):
Sarah, talk a little bit about the Young Foundation
and how you all are prioritizingum funding for services for
families and youth.
What does that look like for youall?
SPEAKER_03 (10:19):
Well, as Timothy said, it it it involves quite a
few things, quite a few systems.
But I know and my board knowsthat we cannot go into
somebody's home and say this iswhat needs to happen, what you
need or what you're lacking tomake your family stronger.
(10:40):
We do know that we can providethem with the tools to do that
on their own.
And so we we focus on shoring upactivities for children, whether
it's the Boys and Girls Club,Girls Inc., the YMCA.
We actively support thoseannually, but we also look at
(11:04):
big community projects that canease the stress for families,
and that that's what we know wecan do.
I've been a you know, I'm amother, a young mother, um, many
years ago, and I know it'sstressful, and I had resources,
so I can't imagine what it'slike you know to not know where
your next meal is coming.
And so we have banned as acommunity and are building a
(11:28):
food warehouse.
We are quasi-rural in the factthat we don't have a large food
warehouse to supply our regionalfood banks.
And so we feel as if as thoughthat if we have refrigeration
and freezer space, we can amassand and gather more food to
(11:54):
distribute individually out intothe community.
And so that is a project that wehave been working on for a
couple years and committed alarge gift to it just last week.
So that's just one thing thatwe're doing.
The other thing that has been asource of stress for our parents
(12:14):
in the last couple years is lackof child care.
One of our nonprofit uhchurch-run childcares that had
been around at least 30 yearsclosed suddenly last year, and
it left a lot of familieswithout child care.
And so our Family Y has beenactively soliciting funds from
(12:39):
the federal government to builda new child care facility, and
that is now happening.
And they're training thepotential workers, not just for
their facility, but for otherfacilities as well.
And so that's going to fill asignificant gap and hopefully,
again, reduce the stress forfamilies.
That's our goal.
SPEAKER_02 (12:59):
Yeah.
It sounds like URL's focus isreally stabilizing and creating
opportunities for stability forkids, for their families.
Lisey, I know that the work youall do in Paducah is about
family stability as well.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthe services that you all
provide at Paducah CooperativeMinistry and and why they're
important?
SPEAKER_00 (13:18):
Yeah, I think the the biggest thing that we're
focused on is housing.
Um, you know, that takesprecedence.
We know the first the first stopis always gonna be um is always
gonna be food, right?
So that's that's kind of thebiggest indicator of a of a
family that's that's enteringthat instability phase, and
(13:39):
that's that's first.
But our biggest priority isshelter.
Currently, McCracken County is3,805 units short as far as
housing goes.
It's a statewide issue.
It impacts every single countyin Kentucky.
Um, we receive 120 calls a monthfor shelter.
Uh, we have a 48-bed spot, it'snot enough.
(14:02):
And so currently, we're in theprocess of a capital campaign
where we're going to build 48additional beds for an emergency
night-by-night shelter.
But we have both of our schooldistricts have excess of 200
students who don't have stableshelter.
And so, if we're talking aboutACE, um uh is it ACE indicators,
(14:24):
right?
We're talking about ACE scoresfor students.
The fundamental part of this isa safe, stable place to stay.
Um, and so that's kind of in2025, we changed our structure
to focus less on utility billsand things like that, and to
focus most on uh homeless issuesand housing.
(14:46):
Um, and that's why we're we'rereally passionate about a lot of
the legislative issues that aregoing through um Kentucky this
year, um, and a lot of the sameones that KYA are excited about
too, um, because 52% of our uhfolks that were in Fresh Start
Village this year, it was theirfirst time homeless.
(15:07):
So this is not uh, I don't know,this is not chronic homeless,
this is not, this is situationalhousing issues, and so this is
something that we can we feellike we can prevent.
Um, and 50% of them had ahistory of eviction, and so um
we feel like focusing onhousing, um, housing insecurity,
(15:27):
and um I don't know, we justfeel like that's where we're
called to go, and that's wherewe're that's where we're really
trying to make an impact.
So Fresh Start Village focuses alot on getting uh tutoring into
into um the hands of ourstudents, of course, working
closely with school systems.
Um our McKinney Vento liaisonswere really important to us, and
if you're not working withthose, we really need to be
(15:49):
making sure we're doing that.
But um these kids are are themost important things um to our
communities, and um how do wehow do we make sure that they're
safe?
And right now, a lot of them arenot because they don't have a
safe place to go.
SPEAKER_02 (16:08):
Yeah, absolutely.
Kids are a future of theCommonwealth.
I've heard that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And Lacey, you mentioned that uhBloom, Kentucky, and Kentucky
Youth Advocates, we have severalpolicy priorities that we're
working on this legislativesession, which is a reminder for
folks, is also a budget session.
Yeah.
There's a housing task forcethat identified um, you know,
(16:30):
potential housing prioritiesthat need to be passed,
hopefully this session or in theupcoming sessions.
Um, Bloom, Kentucky inparticular, are looking at some
really common sense, commonground changes to um items like
the eviction process to promotestable housing.
Um House Bill 338 fromRepresentative Susan Witten is
(16:53):
one that we are hoping to seestart to move.
It's been assigned to JudiciaryCommittee.
Um, we've got we've got timeleft in the process, but we'd
love for for that to startmoving along.
Um, another priority area isaround um families and their
disconnection to utilities.
I feel like that could also be,Lacey, to your point, kind of a
(17:13):
flag for when families arestarting to move and into
instability, not being able toafford those utility bills.
Um, so we're looking for some.
SPEAKER_00 (17:23):
Yes, and not only that, but right now uh it's also
not illegal to cut offelectricity or water when it's
really cold or really hot.
And so 32, and I don't know whatthe top is, I can't recall.
Uh, but we're seeing folks who,when it was really cold out,
getting disconnect notices, andthat is on the table right now,
(17:45):
too.
And so imagine being a studentin school, um, and your
utilities are cut off, and it isit was 20 degrees outside.
Yeah, um, I think it felt likesix this morning.
I don't know, that's what one ofmy volunteers said.
And you go to school and you arefaced with uh utility outage,
and um we're getting calls likethat, and we know if a student
(18:08):
has been homeless already,they're more likely to be
homeless again, and so we'regetting these calls and they're
getting disconnect notices frompower companies.
Um, and there's nothing toprotect them from that right
now, and that's what's at stakethis year.
SPEAKER_02 (18:21):
Yeah, and and babies can't regulate the temperatures,
which is which is alsocritically important.
So Cynbill 88 and House Bill 377are bills to be watching when
we're talking about utilitydisconnection.
And then investing in diaperneed.
We know that access to diapersis critical for our uh our
parents, especially youngparents who tend to not have as
(18:42):
much when it comes to resources.
Sarah, I see you nodding yourhead, especially when it comes
to childcare is expensive,diapers are expensive.
Uh, we're looking at ways toinvest in the diaper needs of
families with young childchildren through House Bill 302,
and uh, which is VanessaGrossell's bill, Representative
Grossell's bill, and then SenateBill 58, which is Senator Cassie
Chambers Armstrong.
(19:02):
So Timothy, Sarah, Lacey, talkto me about these policy
priorities and how you thinkthey could impact what it what
it means for your community.
SPEAKER_04 (19:16):
I let the ladies go first this time.
SPEAKER_03 (19:18):
Okay, thank you.
I um I'm particularly watching,since it is a budget year, what
happens with the child careassistance program.
That is an item that can make orbreak a young family, especially
a a single parent family, towork or continue their
(19:40):
education.
And you know, I I know there'speople who want to work, but it
doesn't make sense for them towork um if childcare is too
affordable.
And that to me is just anatrocity when they want to
better themselves and want tobetter their family.
So I hope that we can come tosome kind of resolution in
(20:00):
funding that so that we can havethat moving forward for
families.
Um and just showing our childrena good example for work.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (20:16):
Um, I will reiterate over 90% of the folks in our
Fresh Start Village uh do haveincome.
Um a lot of times folks that areum labeled without shelter are
often deemed as not employed.
And that's not the case wherewe're not the case.
So I agree.
Thank you for that statistic,Lacey.
I appreciate that.
Absolutely.
Um and as it relates to youth,uh House Bill 338 is important
(20:40):
to us, and one that I'm watchingspecifically because uh as it
stands right now, um youth whoare um kind of caught up in the
eviction process are notprotected um in that uh in that
eviction process because uhtheir names can go right in on
an eviction notice if if a judgedoes not catch it.
(21:02):
Um and they can they can getcaught up in that process as
well.
So um we've seen kids' names onthat, and they didn't even know
that their names were on aneviction.
And you know, fast forwardseveral years and they're trying
to get a background check andthey're trying to get their own
house now, and um you know,they're doing a background
(21:22):
check, and and who knew um whenwhen their mom got evicted when
they were a kid, their name wason that because the judge didn't
catch it, the landlord put theirname on it, and um you know,
maybe there was no ill intent,who knows?
Um, but their name was in thathousehold, and currently there
is nothing that protects uhsomebody that's under 18 um from
(21:44):
getting their name put on thateviction, um, and this bill
would stop that and wouldrequire their name to be
excluded from that.
And uh, this is that to me iswhat common sense looks like.
Why on earth would a kid's nameum be put on On an eviction, a
legal document when they hadnothing to do with that.
And so again, we had 66 uhpeople that were under 18 in
(22:10):
Fresh Start Village in 2025.
Um, and they don't make thosechoices of where they live or
where they go or why they're ina shelter, um, but 66 um people
under 18 last year.
So um that bill is one thatwe're watching very closely, and
we obviously need it to we wantthat to help protect kids.
SPEAKER_04 (22:29):
So as a foundation, um, we don't write policy per
se.
That's not our wheelhouse, butwe do see every day how policy
shows up in real, real lives.
Um, we see how the decisionsmade in Frankfurt shape whether
or not families feel safe,stable, secure, or whether or
not they're constantly on edge.
You know, when a parent isfeeling uh on edge about
(22:50):
possibly being evicted, some ofthe stats that we heard a few
moments ago, or whether thelights will be turned off now
that we know that it is you knowlegal to do that, it's just sort
of mind-blowing to me.
Um, it becomes impossible tofocus on anything else.
We expect young people to cometo school and be their best
versions of themselves whenthese things are lurking around
uh in the background, it'saffecting their health, their
learning, uh, their emotionalwell-being.
(23:11):
So, you know, when we talk aboutthings like stable housing, fair
utility policies, access tobasic needs like diapers, it's
not just about financialassistance, it's about
protecting child development.
Um, we're talking aboutsupporting strong families and
helping to build uh bettercommunities, healthier
communities.
We're a place-based foundation,really uh focused on those three
counties I talked about, Cal andEstel.
(23:33):
Um, but our role is to listen.
Listen very closely to what ourfamilies and our communities are
telling us and what they'reexperiencing and helping to
figure out ways to helpstrengthen the systems that
reduce that unnecessary stressthat I've talked about.
Um we try to be close to theground, out among the people,
uh, being responsive to whatthey're telling us.
But we don't do this work alone,you know.
But we don't do policy directlyand write policy.
(23:55):
We're proud to stand alongsideuh the experts, partners who do
that.
Folks like you know, KentuckyYouth Advocates and others who
are deeply engaged in policywork.
You know, you all bring theexpertise.
We see ourselves as helping tolend some community voice, local
insight, and support wherever wecan.
Um but at the end of the day,these priorities are about
dignity, about stability, aboutopportunity.
(24:16):
And that's the kind of communitywe're all trying to build.
And these policies have a directuh impact on families' abilities
to experience that.
SPEAKER_02 (24:26):
And the work that you all do in our communities to
help strengthen our families andstrengthen and knit together our
communities, then can help forus to shape really good policy.
And it's kind of cyclical,right?
If we have folks who are engagedin the process and helping to
shape those policies along withour legislators in the General
(24:46):
Assembly, creates opportunitiesfor um uh listening and learning
from each other and uh and andshaping policy based on how
people are impacted and theexperiences that they have.
Lacey mentioned, you know, kidsbeing named on evictions.
Right now, there's no way toremove their names.
So whether it was accidental ornot, unfortunately it stuck with
(25:08):
them.
Um, but Representative Wittenlistened and um and has learned
uh from advocates and from folkswith um experience being um
named on eviction petitions thatsomething needs to happen and
she's working to take action todo something about it.
So we're really grateful forthose legislators who have
engaged in the process and haveum have really listened and
(25:31):
taken what they've heard fromtheir communities to Frankfurt,
to the Capitol to see somechanges happen.
So I would like to open it up toany final remarks or reflections
based on what you heard fromeach other or based on what you
would really like to see movingforward with our General
Assembly.
Any um any advice for otheradvocates or things that you
(25:52):
would like to share with ourpodcast listeners?
SPEAKER_04 (25:57):
I mean, I would just offer how important it is to get
involved in the process.
As I mentioned, although wedon't necessarily write policy,
we were up in Frankfurt a fewdays already this session.
You know, we participated withuh Kentucky Nonprofit Network
and their nonprofit day.
And it's important to just, youknow, show up.
Show up, bring along volunteers,bring along folks who have the
live experience because ourlegislators learn so much and
(26:19):
they're really influenced byhearing directly from them, more
so than even sometimes hearingfrom us.
So I would just say, you know,don't underestimate the
importance of showing up andreally helping to educate uh our
uh lawmakers on the impact thatsome of these decisions have
downstream.
SPEAKER_03 (26:37):
Agreed, Timothy.
I would I would recommend thatpeople uh go to the website of
Kentucky Youth Advocates and seethe bills that we're following.
And some of them will shop toyou like, that is common sense.
Why is that not happening?
So continue to tell the stories.
If you see your legislator,remind them as Lacey said, so
(26:58):
many of the people that are onassistance are employed.
Um that it that is a truestatistic.
So I think that our voices justneed to be heard and um in a
polite way.
Please, you know, uh, you know,but keep reminding and keep
advocating.
SPEAKER_00 (27:18):
Yeah, I don't want to be a uh an echo there, but
that is it is sometimes you feelanxious, like oh, these people
don't want to hear from me, orI'm I'm not really anybody,
especially when you're from wayout um in Paducah, nobody ever
goes up there.
It takes so long to get there.
But um, and I'm I grew up inWhitesville, that's really close
to Owensboro out there, and umyou just feel like these people
(27:43):
do not want to hear from me, butthey really do.
Um, and introduce yourself, yourname, where you're from.
We did elect these folks, andthey do want to hear your
stories, what you're doing, um,and the people that work with
them.
You know, sometimes you meettheir handler, and that's just
as good as meeting the person uhthat they're that you elected,
(28:04):
and so just tell them whatyou're doing and what's
important to you, and that youdo support a bill.
Um, and know the numbers of thebills and what and what's going
on, because some of this stuffyou think is not that can't be
real life, you know.
That can't be what's going on.
I didn't know that they couldcut off electric until I um
really got involved in andknowing what was going on, but
(28:25):
um, we don't really want to stayout of local politics.
We want to be we want to beinvolved in that and know what's
going on.
Know your mayor, introduceyourself to your mayor, know
your commissioners.
Um these are the people that aremaking it happen for you
locally, and it's okay to knowthem.
Even your chamber of commerce,this is what this is how this is
how these things get done foryou locally.
(28:45):
So thank you for having havingme on here as well and just
giving us a chance to say thatbecause it is important.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (28:53):
Yeah, we appreciate you all so much for joining us
today.
I think we heard on the groundum a healthy, stable environment
for our kids and families helpsnot just immediately for our
kids to be able to go learn inschool or at their early
childhood center or um indifferent places where we can
(29:14):
engage with with kids to showthem that uh we have supportive
communities and environments.
Um you all are doing incrediblework in your communities to help
create opportunities, not justfor stability, but also to be
heard and to feel listened to,which is really important as a
(29:34):
member of the Commonwealth.
Um also would like to reiterateget to know your legislators,
reach out to them, help themunderstand what's important to
you, help them understand what'shappening in your community so
that when they are heading up toFrankfurt, they can carry that
with them and know how tosupport the actions that our
legislators are taking by votingyes or no on certain bills.
(29:56):
Um I will uh highly, highlyadvocate for people to check out
kyouth.org slash bloom for moreon Bloom, Kentucky and those
policy priorities that we arefollowing and taking action on.
Um you can track the progress ofthose priority bills and find
out other ways to take action onour bill tracker.
And then um just want to sayagain thank you to Lacey,
(30:19):
Timothy, and Sarah for joiningus today, imparting us with your
wisdom and being uh real presentfor your communities and their
needs.
And thank you for tuning in tothe Making Kids Count Podcast.
Thank you, Shannon.
SPEAKER_04 (30:33):
It's a pleasure.
SPEAKER_01 (30:35):
Thank you for listening to the Making Kids
Count Podcast.
For more information and tolisten to more episodes, visit
kyouth.org slash podcast.
To support this podcast and ourmission as the independent voice
for Kentucky kids, pleaseconsider making a gift at
ayuc.org slash donate.
Welcome to the Making Kids Count Podcast,
brought to you by Kentucky YouthAdvocates, where we sit down
with policymakers, communityleaders, and youth to discuss
ideas to make Kentucky the bestplace to be young.
SPEAKER_02 (00:16):
Hi there, this is Shannon Moody, Chief Policy and
Strategy Officer at KentuckyYouth Advocates.
Thanks for tuning in to theMaking Kids Count Podcast.
Today I'm joined by some keypartners and experts in
addressing adverse childhoodexperiences and resilience
building in our communities inthe Commonwealth.
Today's focus will be on theimportance of addressing what
(00:36):
Dr.
Wendy Ellis has coined the pairof aces, which includes adverse
community environments and theconditions in which our families
live, work, and grow, which weknow can contribute to child
outcomes and child well-being.
And we're really looking forwardto having a conversation with
our folks today about what thatlooks like in a couple of
(00:58):
different communities across theCommonwealth.
So, what we know is that ACEs oradverse childhood experiences in
Kentucky are common.
And Kentucky kids need healthyenvironments to flourish.
So today we will be discussingthe role of meeting the basic
needs of our kids and familiesto help prevent and mitigate
childhood adversity and ideallygrow opportunities for positive
(01:22):
childhood experiences.
And just a note the BloomKentucky Initiative, which our
guests are engaged in in somecapacity or another, is focused
on addressing adverse childhoodexperiences, promoting positive
childhood experiences.
In this legislative session, weare advocating for several state
legislative priorities that Ithink we will touch on a little
(01:47):
bit later in the podcast.
So today I'm joined by LaceyBowling, the Executive Director
of the Paducah CooperativeMinistries, Sarah Hemingway,
Executive Director of Marilynand William Young Foundation in
Owensboro, and Timothy Johnson,Executive Director of the
Greater Clark Foundation inWinchester, Kentucky.
Really glad to have you all heretoday, and I'm excited to hear
(02:10):
from your perspective on theground and working to meet the
needs of kids and familiesacross the Commonwealth.
Before we jump in and getstarted on the content, I'd
really love for you all to giveme a quick introduction of
yourself and your organizationand the folks that you serve, in
addition to what is giving youhope or bringing you hope right
now.
So maybe we can start with Sarahand then pass it around.
SPEAKER_03 (02:34):
Sure.
Thank you, Shannon.
I am the executive director ofthe William and Maryland, the
Maryland excuse me, and WilliamYoung Charitable Foundation, and
I'm happy to be here.
What we do is as a privatelyendowed foundation, we look for
ways that we can help shore upfamilies and support them
(02:55):
through our grants, also throughadvocacy and being just really
involved with the nonprofitsthat serve our families.
That's really probably one ofour main goals as a foundation.
And I will say the one thingthat gives me hope is my
community.
We are really bound tight overhere in Owensboro and uh
(03:17):
committed to each other.
So they they continue to inspireme.
SPEAKER_02 (03:24):
Timothy, what about you?
SPEAKER_04 (03:27):
So again, hi, I'm Timothy Johnson.
Um thank you very much for theinvitation to be here.
I serve as uh president andchief executive officer of the
Greater Clark Foundation,located in Winchester, Clark
County, Kentucky, but alsoserving How and Estow County.
We like to say is where thebluegrass meets the Appalachian,
so that kind of intersectionthere.
Uh I've been on board for alittle over five months and uh
(03:50):
excited about being here todayto have this conversation.
But also what brings me hopethese days is really just the
the abundance of capacity thatI've seen in our community as
I've gone around and introducedmyself, meeting folks, uh
everyday citizens, electedofficials, and everyone in
between, just asking, you know,how can we execute our mission,
(04:11):
which is really addressing thesocial determinants of health,
all the non-medical things andgo into helping a family on
individual drive, education,transportation, good paying job.
And we also include civicengagement in that, really
helping to change mindsets.
And everyone seems to be excitedabout that and really uh wanting
to be engaged with ourfoundation.
And I'm excited to sort of helpbring some uh different energy
(04:33):
as we continue on to our I thinkwe're 15 go going on 16 years,
so we're still kind of young inthe foundation uh game, but
really hoping to help bring thisnext chapter in an exciting way
to our community.
SPEAKER_02 (04:45):
Abundance of capacity is just a beautiful way
to say that, too.
That's really awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (04:51):
Lacey, what about you?
Hey, my name is Lacey Bowling.
I'm the executive director atPaducah Cooperative Ministry.
We've been uh here for over 50years in Paducah, Western
Kentucky.
We serve McCracken Countyprimarily.
Um, we serve the homeless andthe hungry.
Um, 800 families are served outof our food pantry.
We serve sets of groceries, andthat's each month.
(05:11):
Um, we also are able to helpthose who have been homeless
before pay for utility bills orrent with down payments, things
like that.
And then we run a 48-bedtransitional shelter called
Fresh Start Village, if you'refamiliar with that program here
in western Kentucky.
Um, it's it's 48 beds, women umand children, that's uh who we
(05:34):
serve.
And uh what gives me hope, I'mnot known for hope primarily.
It's not one of my favoritethings uh in life.
I don't think it of it as astrategy.
Um I'm more into um action.
Um, but uh what has given mehope most recently with the
fallout of the Snap uh benefitsand things like that is how
(05:54):
folks came together to fill thatgap when when Snap was uh
wavering.
But um again, I I I am a deaconat my church locally, so don't
get me caught up talking abouthow hope is is a problem for me.
But uh I am inspired by the factthat folks came together to fill
that gap, and I hope that uh werealize that that's something
(06:15):
that we have to do all the timeto make sure folks are taken
care of.
So um anyway.
SPEAKER_02 (06:22):
Macy, it sounds like you all are about action and
taking action.
And I can't wait to dig intolearning a little bit more from
each of you about the ways thatyou all are supporting family
needs and the efforts to addressadverse environments where kids
grow up.
Um, Timothy, I know GreaterClark Foundation prides itself
on creating physical spaces andplaces that influence how people
(06:45):
come together and connect insupport of well-being.
Um, I think you all call itbuilt environment.
Could you speak to how theconditions that surround us
impact family and childwell-being and what you all are
doing at the Clark Foundation inClark County and um and the
surrounding counties to betteryour local environment?
(07:05):
What does that look like inaction?
SPEAKER_04 (07:07):
Absolutely.
Well, thank you for thatquestion, Shannon.
Um, one of the things that we'velearned over time is that
families don't experience thesechallenges in isolation.
You know, what's happening athome is also shaped by what's
happening around them on theirblock, in their neighborhood,
and all throughout theircommunities.
So when communities lack uh safeplaces to get together, to
gather, whether it's staplehousing, green spaces, or having
(07:30):
other such uh strong socialconnections, uh that stress
builds up.
People begin to feel isolated.
And that isolation affectsparents, it affects kids,
everyone in between, and howfamilies function from day to
day.
So what we call uh the builtenvironment, uh we pay close
attention to that because it caneither go to reinforce that
isolation or it can inviteconnections to help uh dissipate
(07:53):
that.
So here in Clark County, youknow, spaces like Legacy Girl
Park, we don't see them as justkind of nice to have amenities,
we see them as a centralinfrastructure for belonging.
They're places where differentfamilies can come together to
breathe, where young people canbe creative and really get to
know different aspects of thecommunity that they may not
otherwise have relationshipswith and really serve as that
(08:13):
that that focal point for peoplegetting to know each other and
building those authenticrelationships.
Uh during our creation of LegacyGrove Park, we put together a
youth design team because wefeel it's important that young
people are in involved and havea very important voice in places
that are built for them, notjust someone, you know, giving
them what we think they theyneed or they want.
(08:35):
So ultimately when we feel likefamilies have safe, beautiful,
accessible places to gettogether, it reduces that social
isolation we talked about.
You know, strengthensrelationships.
And those relationships arereally foundational to the work
that nonprofits and governmentand others need to do in the
community in order to help buildand really reinforce that
well-being.
(08:56):
Uh but at the same time we knowthat having beautiful places and
you know, beautiful spaces likelegacy growth isn't enough.
That's why we partner withorganizations who are working on
important issues like foodaccess, education, housing
stability, other kinds of familysupports, healthy human
services.
Because all those pieces worktogether in lockstep to help
make families stable at home.
(09:16):
Uh we're intentional aboutshaping the environments around
families and the ways thatsupport kids, support parents,
support long-term success.
Because ultimately we believethat when the environment is
healthy, families are healthier.
And when families are healthier,the whole community benefits
from that and and reaps some ofthat abundance capacity that I
mentioned earlier.
SPEAKER_02 (09:37):
Speaking of feeling inspired, I'm feeling very
inspired by the um mention ofthe youth design team.
That sounds incredible.
And it and you all are veryintentional about the ways that
you are getting feedback fromindividuals and engaging
individuals and um creating thatstability in your community,
which is um is fantastic tohear.
SPEAKER_03 (09:59):
I agree.
I agree, Timothy.
That's really smart to listen tothe youth before you build
something for them.
SPEAKER_04 (10:04):
Thank you, Sarah.
SPEAKER_03 (10:05):
Yeah, love that.
SPEAKER_02 (10:07):
Sarah, talk a little bit about the Young Foundation
and how you all are prioritizingum funding for services for
families and youth.
What does that look like for youall?
SPEAKER_03 (10:19):
Well, as Timothy said, it it it involves quite a
few things, quite a few systems.
But I know and my board knowsthat we cannot go into
somebody's home and say this iswhat needs to happen, what you
need or what you're lacking tomake your family stronger.
(10:40):
We do know that we can providethem with the tools to do that
on their own.
And so we we focus on shoring upactivities for children, whether
it's the Boys and Girls Club,Girls Inc., the YMCA.
We actively support thoseannually, but we also look at
(11:04):
big community projects that canease the stress for families,
and that that's what we know wecan do.
I've been a you know, I'm amother, a young mother, um, many
years ago, and I know it'sstressful, and I had resources,
so I can't imagine what it'slike you know to not know where
your next meal is coming.
And so we have banned as acommunity and are building a
(11:28):
food warehouse.
We are quasi-rural in the factthat we don't have a large food
warehouse to supply our regionalfood banks.
And so we feel as if as thoughthat if we have refrigeration
and freezer space, we can amassand and gather more food to
(11:54):
distribute individually out intothe community.
And so that is a project that wehave been working on for a
couple years and committed alarge gift to it just last week.
So that's just one thing thatwe're doing.
The other thing that has been asource of stress for our parents
(12:14):
in the last couple years is lackof child care.
One of our nonprofit uhchurch-run childcares that had
been around at least 30 yearsclosed suddenly last year, and
it left a lot of familieswithout child care.
And so our Family Y has beenactively soliciting funds from
(12:39):
the federal government to builda new child care facility, and
that is now happening.
And they're training thepotential workers, not just for
their facility, but for otherfacilities as well.
And so that's going to fill asignificant gap and hopefully,
again, reduce the stress forfamilies.
That's our goal.
SPEAKER_02 (12:59):
Yeah.
It sounds like URL's focus isreally stabilizing and creating
opportunities for stability forkids, for their families.
Lisey, I know that the work youall do in Paducah is about
family stability as well.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthe services that you all
provide at Paducah CooperativeMinistry and and why they're
important?
SPEAKER_00 (13:18):
Yeah, I think the the biggest thing that we're
focused on is housing.
Um, you know, that takesprecedence.
We know the first the first stopis always gonna be um is always
gonna be food, right?
So that's that's kind of thebiggest indicator of a of a
family that's that's enteringthat instability phase, and
(13:39):
that's that's first.
But our biggest priority isshelter.
Currently, McCracken County is3,805 units short as far as
housing goes.
It's a statewide issue.
It impacts every single countyin Kentucky.
Um, we receive 120 calls a monthfor shelter.
Uh, we have a 48-bed spot, it'snot enough.
(14:02):
And so currently, we're in theprocess of a capital campaign
where we're going to build 48additional beds for an emergency
night-by-night shelter.
But we have both of our schooldistricts have excess of 200
students who don't have stableshelter.
And so, if we're talking aboutACE, um uh is it ACE indicators,
(14:24):
right?
We're talking about ACE scoresfor students.
The fundamental part of this isa safe, stable place to stay.
Um, and so that's kind of in2025, we changed our structure
to focus less on utility billsand things like that, and to
focus most on uh homeless issuesand housing.
(14:46):
Um, and that's why we're we'rereally passionate about a lot of
the legislative issues that aregoing through um Kentucky this
year, um, and a lot of the sameones that KYA are excited about
too, um, because 52% of our uhfolks that were in Fresh Start
Village this year, it was theirfirst time homeless.
(15:07):
So this is not uh, I don't know,this is not chronic homeless,
this is not, this is situationalhousing issues, and so this is
something that we can we feellike we can prevent.
Um, and 50% of them had ahistory of eviction, and so um
we feel like focusing onhousing, um, housing insecurity,
(15:27):
and um I don't know, we justfeel like that's where we're
called to go, and that's wherewe're that's where we're really
trying to make an impact.
So Fresh Start Village focuses alot on getting uh tutoring into
into um the hands of ourstudents, of course, working
closely with school systems.
Um our McKinney Vento liaisonswere really important to us, and
if you're not working withthose, we really need to be
(15:49):
making sure we're doing that.
But um these kids are are themost important things um to our
communities, and um how do wehow do we make sure that they're
safe?
And right now, a lot of them arenot because they don't have a
safe place to go.
SPEAKER_02 (16:08):
Yeah, absolutely.
Kids are a future of theCommonwealth.
I've heard that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And Lacey, you mentioned that uhBloom, Kentucky, and Kentucky
Youth Advocates, we have severalpolicy priorities that we're
working on this legislativesession, which is a reminder for
folks, is also a budget session.
Yeah.
There's a housing task forcethat identified um, you know,
(16:30):
potential housing prioritiesthat need to be passed,
hopefully this session or in theupcoming sessions.
Um, Bloom, Kentucky inparticular, are looking at some
really common sense, commonground changes to um items like
the eviction process to promotestable housing.
Um House Bill 338 fromRepresentative Susan Witten is
(16:53):
one that we are hoping to seestart to move.
It's been assigned to JudiciaryCommittee.
Um, we've got we've got timeleft in the process, but we'd
love for for that to startmoving along.
Um, another priority area isaround um families and their
disconnection to utilities.
I feel like that could also be,Lacey, to your point, kind of a
(17:13):
flag for when families arestarting to move and into
instability, not being able toafford those utility bills.
Um, so we're looking for some.
SPEAKER_00 (17:23):
Yes, and not only that, but right now uh it's also
not illegal to cut offelectricity or water when it's
really cold or really hot.
And so 32, and I don't know whatthe top is, I can't recall.
Uh, but we're seeing folks who,when it was really cold out,
getting disconnect notices, andthat is on the table right now,
(17:45):
too.
And so imagine being a studentin school, um, and your
utilities are cut off, and it isit was 20 degrees outside.
Yeah, um, I think it felt likesix this morning.
I don't know, that's what one ofmy volunteers said.
And you go to school and you arefaced with uh utility outage,
and um we're getting calls likethat, and we know if a student
(18:08):
has been homeless already,they're more likely to be
homeless again, and so we'regetting these calls and they're
getting disconnect notices frompower companies.
Um, and there's nothing toprotect them from that right
now, and that's what's at stakethis year.
SPEAKER_02 (18:21):
Yeah, and and babies can't regulate the temperatures,
which is which is alsocritically important.
So Cynbill 88 and House Bill 377are bills to be watching when
we're talking about utilitydisconnection.
And then investing in diaperneed.
We know that access to diapersis critical for our uh our
parents, especially youngparents who tend to not have as
(18:42):
much when it comes to resources.
Sarah, I see you nodding yourhead, especially when it comes
to childcare is expensive,diapers are expensive.
Uh, we're looking at ways toinvest in the diaper needs of
families with young childchildren through House Bill 302,
and uh, which is VanessaGrossell's bill, Representative
Grossell's bill, and then SenateBill 58, which is Senator Cassie
Chambers Armstrong.
(19:02):
So Timothy, Sarah, Lacey, talkto me about these policy
priorities and how you thinkthey could impact what it what
it means for your community.
SPEAKER_04 (19:16):
I let the ladies go first this time.
SPEAKER_03 (19:18):
Okay, thank you.
I um I'm particularly watching,since it is a budget year, what
happens with the child careassistance program.
That is an item that can make orbreak a young family, especially
a a single parent family, towork or continue their
(19:40):
education.
And you know, I I know there'speople who want to work, but it
doesn't make sense for them towork um if childcare is too
affordable.
And that to me is just anatrocity when they want to
better themselves and want tobetter their family.
So I hope that we can come tosome kind of resolution in
(20:00):
funding that so that we can havethat moving forward for
families.
Um and just showing our childrena good example for work.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (20:16):
Um, I will reiterate over 90% of the folks in our
Fresh Start Village uh do haveincome.
Um a lot of times folks that areum labeled without shelter are
often deemed as not employed.
And that's not the case wherewe're not the case.
So I agree.
Thank you for that statistic,Lacey.
I appreciate that.
Absolutely.
Um and as it relates to youth,uh House Bill 338 is important
(20:40):
to us, and one that I'm watchingspecifically because uh as it
stands right now, um youth whoare um kind of caught up in the
eviction process are notprotected um in that uh in that
eviction process because uhtheir names can go right in on
an eviction notice if if a judgedoes not catch it.
(21:02):
Um and they can they can getcaught up in that process as
well.
So um we've seen kids' names onthat, and they didn't even know
that their names were on aneviction.
And you know, fast forwardseveral years and they're trying
to get a background check andthey're trying to get their own
house now, and um you know,they're doing a background
(21:22):
check, and and who knew um whenwhen their mom got evicted when
they were a kid, their name wason that because the judge didn't
catch it, the landlord put theirname on it, and um you know,
maybe there was no ill intent,who knows?
Um, but their name was in thathousehold, and currently there
is nothing that protects uhsomebody that's under 18 um from
(21:44):
getting their name put on thateviction, um, and this bill
would stop that and wouldrequire their name to be
excluded from that.
And uh, this is that to me iswhat common sense looks like.
Why on earth would a kid's nameum be put on On an eviction, a
legal document when they hadnothing to do with that.
And so again, we had 66 uhpeople that were under 18 in
(22:10):
Fresh Start Village in 2025.
Um, and they don't make thosechoices of where they live or
where they go or why they're ina shelter, um, but 66 um people
under 18 last year.
So um that bill is one thatwe're watching very closely, and
we obviously need it to we wantthat to help protect kids.
SPEAKER_04 (22:29):
So as a foundation, um, we don't write policy per
se.
That's not our wheelhouse, butwe do see every day how policy
shows up in real, real lives.
Um, we see how the decisionsmade in Frankfurt shape whether
or not families feel safe,stable, secure, or whether or
not they're constantly on edge.
You know, when a parent isfeeling uh on edge about
(22:50):
possibly being evicted, some ofthe stats that we heard a few
moments ago, or whether thelights will be turned off now
that we know that it is you knowlegal to do that, it's just sort
of mind-blowing to me.
Um, it becomes impossible tofocus on anything else.
We expect young people to cometo school and be their best
versions of themselves whenthese things are lurking around
uh in the background, it'saffecting their health, their
learning, uh, their emotionalwell-being.
(23:11):
So, you know, when we talk aboutthings like stable housing, fair
utility policies, access tobasic needs like diapers, it's
not just about financialassistance, it's about
protecting child development.
Um, we're talking aboutsupporting strong families and
helping to build uh bettercommunities, healthier
communities.
We're a place-based foundation,really uh focused on those three
counties I talked about, Cal andEstel.
(23:33):
Um, but our role is to listen.
Listen very closely to what ourfamilies and our communities are
telling us and what they'reexperiencing and helping to
figure out ways to helpstrengthen the systems that
reduce that unnecessary stressthat I've talked about.
Um we try to be close to theground, out among the people,
uh, being responsive to whatthey're telling us.
But we don't do this work alone,you know.
But we don't do policy directlyand write policy.
(23:55):
We're proud to stand alongsideuh the experts, partners who do
that.
Folks like you know, KentuckyYouth Advocates and others who
are deeply engaged in policywork.
You know, you all bring theexpertise.
We see ourselves as helping tolend some community voice, local
insight, and support wherever wecan.
Um but at the end of the day,these priorities are about
dignity, about stability, aboutopportunity.
(24:16):
And that's the kind of communitywe're all trying to build.
And these policies have a directuh impact on families' abilities
to experience that.
SPEAKER_02 (24:26):
And the work that you all do in our communities to
help strengthen our families andstrengthen and knit together our
communities, then can help forus to shape really good policy.
And it's kind of cyclical,right?
If we have folks who are engagedin the process and helping to
shape those policies along withour legislators in the General
(24:46):
Assembly, creates opportunitiesfor um uh listening and learning
from each other and uh and andshaping policy based on how
people are impacted and theexperiences that they have.
Lacey mentioned, you know, kidsbeing named on evictions.
Right now, there's no way toremove their names.
So whether it was accidental ornot, unfortunately it stuck with
(25:08):
them.
Um, but Representative Wittenlistened and um and has learned
uh from advocates and from folkswith um experience being um
named on eviction petitions thatsomething needs to happen and
she's working to take action todo something about it.
So we're really grateful forthose legislators who have
engaged in the process and haveum have really listened and
(25:31):
taken what they've heard fromtheir communities to Frankfurt,
to the Capitol to see somechanges happen.
So I would like to open it up toany final remarks or reflections
based on what you heard fromeach other or based on what you
would really like to see movingforward with our General
Assembly.
Any um any advice for otheradvocates or things that you
(25:52):
would like to share with ourpodcast listeners?
SPEAKER_04 (25:57):
I mean, I would just offer how important it is to get
involved in the process.
As I mentioned, although wedon't necessarily write policy,
we were up in Frankfurt a fewdays already this session.
You know, we participated withuh Kentucky Nonprofit Network
and their nonprofit day.
And it's important to just, youknow, show up.
Show up, bring along volunteers,bring along folks who have the
live experience because ourlegislators learn so much and
(26:19):
they're really influenced byhearing directly from them, more
so than even sometimes hearingfrom us.
So I would just say, you know,don't underestimate the
importance of showing up andreally helping to educate uh our
uh lawmakers on the impact thatsome of these decisions have
downstream.
SPEAKER_03 (26:37):
Agreed, Timothy.
I would I would recommend thatpeople uh go to the website of
Kentucky Youth Advocates and seethe bills that we're following.
And some of them will shop toyou like, that is common sense.
Why is that not happening?
So continue to tell the stories.
If you see your legislator,remind them as Lacey said, so
(26:58):
many of the people that are onassistance are employed.
Um that it that is a truestatistic.
So I think that our voices justneed to be heard and um in a
polite way.
Please, you know, uh, you know,but keep reminding and keep
advocating.
SPEAKER_00 (27:18):
Yeah, I don't want to be a uh an echo there, but
that is it is sometimes you feelanxious, like oh, these people
don't want to hear from me, orI'm I'm not really anybody,
especially when you're from wayout um in Paducah, nobody ever
goes up there.
It takes so long to get there.
But um, and I'm I grew up inWhitesville, that's really close
to Owensboro out there, and umyou just feel like these people
(27:43):
do not want to hear from me, butthey really do.
Um, and introduce yourself, yourname, where you're from.
We did elect these folks, andthey do want to hear your
stories, what you're doing, um,and the people that work with
them.
You know, sometimes you meettheir handler, and that's just
as good as meeting the person uhthat they're that you elected,
(28:04):
and so just tell them whatyou're doing and what's
important to you, and that youdo support a bill.
Um, and know the numbers of thebills and what and what's going
on, because some of this stuffyou think is not that can't be
real life, you know.
That can't be what's going on.
I didn't know that they couldcut off electric until I um
really got involved in andknowing what was going on, but
(28:25):
um, we don't really want to stayout of local politics.
We want to be we want to beinvolved in that and know what's
going on.
Know your mayor, introduceyourself to your mayor, know
your commissioners.
Um these are the people that aremaking it happen for you
locally, and it's okay to knowthem.
Even your chamber of commerce,this is what this is how this is
how these things get done foryou locally.
(28:45):
So thank you for having havingme on here as well and just
giving us a chance to say thatbecause it is important.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_02 (28:53):
Yeah, we appreciate you all so much for joining us
today.
I think we heard on the groundum a healthy, stable environment
for our kids and families helpsnot just immediately for our
kids to be able to go learn inschool or at their early
childhood center or um indifferent places where we can
(29:14):
engage with with kids to showthem that uh we have supportive
communities and environments.
Um you all are doing incrediblework in your communities to help
create opportunities, not justfor stability, but also to be
heard and to feel listened to,which is really important as a
(29:34):
member of the Commonwealth.
Um also would like to reiterateget to know your legislators,
reach out to them, help themunderstand what's important to
you, help them understand what'shappening in your community so
that when they are heading up toFrankfurt, they can carry that
with them and know how tosupport the actions that our
legislators are taking by votingyes or no on certain bills.
(29:56):
Um I will uh highly, highlyadvocate for people to check out
kyouth.org slash bloom for moreon Bloom, Kentucky and those
policy priorities that we arefollowing and taking action on.
Um you can track the progress ofthose priority bills and find
out other ways to take action onour bill tracker.
And then um just want to sayagain thank you to Lacey,
(30:19):
Timothy, and Sarah for joiningus today, imparting us with your
wisdom and being uh real presentfor your communities and their
needs.
And thank you for tuning in tothe Making Kids Count Podcast.
Thank you, Shannon.
SPEAKER_04 (30:33):
It's a pleasure.
SPEAKER_01 (30:35):
Thank you for listening to the Making Kids
Count Podcast.
For more information and tolisten to more episodes, visit
kyouth.org slash podcast.
To support this podcast and ourmission as the independent voice
for Kentucky kids, pleaseconsider making a gift at
ayuc.org slash donate.
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