Title of Success Story: “Impacts from Skip Covid-19 Programs and Community Collaborations within Hardin County”

Our community is often times faced with various issues such as rising cost of transportation, housing, and food.  In addition, the world is constantly dealing with the challenges of dealing with diseases breaking out all over the world. These issues have impacts on families that often times makes it much harder for them to provide necessary resources for their family.  Over the last year the family and consumer science extension agent from Kentucky State University has made an effort to meet these challenges that have been plaguing the local communities within Elizabethtown, Kentucky.   One of the programs that is being offered in the Skip Covid-19 program.  Over the last year (2021-2022) this program has been offered throughout the year at several different parenting programs and with several health organizations.  These efforts have resulted in about 360 participants that have received some information that could help them in preventing a life threatening disease.    In addition, the program has brought about an increase in the number of organizations that have programs in partnership with the cooperative extension program. 

The Skip covid-19 program has started collaborations with about 15 different organizations within the community over the last several months.  Three of programs that included the collaborations that were in the community were the SperoHealth Community Cookout Program, the Hardin County Cope program, and the Community Baby Shower.  These events foster some collaborations within the community that helps our partner organizations and community know about what kind of programs that are being offered within family consumer sciences.   As a result of these collaborations, our programs have been able to share resources and information on how to deal with some of the issues that families have been facing within the communities on how to prevent covid-19 and also resources on some of our other programs on Parenting Education and Youth Development.  For example after working with a program with the Hardin County Cope program, we were able to share scholarship opportunities and career opportunities with some of the youth who are participating in our youth life skills programs. Several of the students within our youth programs are interested in pursuing programs in nursing. We have been able to share information on some of our local colleges and Kentucky State University.  One of the students did get accepted into the nursing program at Kentucky State University.  While several of the other students are interested in learning about college opportunities with some of our local colleges such as the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. 

The Community Baby Shower was held at the Hardin County Extension office in June 2022 of this year.  About 55 participants attended this program.  There were several speakers there that spoke on topics like “Safe vs. Unsafe Sleeping Positions for Babies, and another presentation on “The Effects of Smoking on an unborn Child.”   Our Skip Covid-19 program was able to provide the following resources to the parents: fact sheets on, “A Chart for Children Ages (0-15 years old) on Development,” and a fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on how to get the Covid-19 vaccine, Additional resources included masks, health & nutrition guides, and a newsletters on healthy eating tips.   The community Baby shower was hosted by Communicare and the Kentucky Moms programs that are organizations within Hardin County.  These organizations provided several resources for first time moms and parents from pampers, gift cards, baby car seats, and other items.  The parents were able to get a wealth of information from this program. Kentucky State University also donated a gift basket as well for one of the participants at this program.  The gift basket included a Baby kit (Nail clippers, Nasal Aspirator, and Medicine dropper), baby wipes, Fisher price pacifiers, sippy cup, and a small blanket.  There were several other community organizations at the Community Baby Shower that provided gift baskets.  Other resources were provided from each individual organization to parents and families that participated at the Community Baby Shower as well. 

Some of the programs that were at several of these programs for Skip Covid-19 have now started to share information about the Parenting Program that is happening within Hardin County.  Our goal is to continue to offer programs and services within the county that will continue to assist families and organizations within the community. 

 Pictured Above: Skip Covid-19 Resource Table at Community Baby Shower in Hardin County, KY for the month of June 2022.

Pictured Above: FCS Agent KSU, Chandra DeRamus, SKIP Covid-19 Program facilitator for Hardin County, KY has some information prepared to share with the program participants at the Community Baby Shower event. 

Pictured Above: Partner organization Kentucky Moms sponsor for the Community Baby Shower event.

Pictured Above: Bags containing Skip Covid-19 Resources (fact sheets and masks) provided by Kentucky State University family and consumer science agent.

Pictured Above: Skip Covid-19 resources with Grab and Go bags that contain fact sheets from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, covid-19 vaccination location app, and masks provided for participants at the Hardin County Cope Program.

Pictured Above: Family and Consumer Science Agent, Chandra DeRamus, has some resources to share with participants at the Hardin County Cope Fair for the Skip Covid-19 Program.

Pictured Above: Community Baby Shower gift basket items sponsored by Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension. 

Pictured Above: SperoHealth Cookout event for Skip Covid-19 program. Organization SperoHealth representative prepares materials to give to participants at the event.