Describe the Issue or Situation.

Catastrophic flooding devastated many homes and businesses across Pike County on February 15 and 16, causing millions of dollars in damages and leaving many without utilities or worse.

Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).

In response, the Pike County Extension Office shifted its focus from program delivery to flood recovery. We partnered and worked with several organizations to assist citizens, clientele, and neighbors. All program areas came together to collaborate and deliver community support efforts. These included attending emergency response meetings in the county, checking on community members and clientele, providing educational resources and publications related to flood recovery and relief, supplies deliveries, assisting with sorting and distributing relief supplies, partnering with Operation BBQ and Mercy Chefs to prepare and deliver meals, and volunteering at shelters and fire stations. 

Pike County Extension helped orchestrate Kids Day in the Park as a day of fun and normalcy for kids who had been out of school for over a week. Activities included face painting, hair braiding, playground equipment, snacks, and costumed characters. 

Our office and program areas, along with several other Extension offices in our area, assisted the Cattlemen's Association in cooking hamburgers and preparing a meal to feed those affected by flooding.

Pike County Community Arts was a distribution point for ArtShine bags, given to children affected by flooding.

Provide the Number and Description(s) of Participants/Target Audience.

Provide a Statement of Outcomes or Program Impact. Please note that the outcomes statement must use evaluation data to describe the change(s) that occurred in individuals, groups, families, businesses, or in the community because of the program/outreach.