Chandra DeRamus

Success Story June 30, 2020

“Kentucky State University’s Cooperative Extension Teams up with Non-Profit Organization to Provide Family Resource Kits in Hardin County”

Our nation is currently facing the challenge of a virus outbreak named Corona virus, COVID-19.  The virus has forced several retail stores, manufacturers, libraries, and schools to close due to the amount of people being impacted from the disease.  In Kentucky the impact from the COVID-19 outbreak has increased some challenges already facing its citizens and communities, poverty and food insecurity.  With the challenge of food insecurity and poverty citizens in the community are looking for alternative ways to help them with resources such as food, family activities, and recreation to ease the burden of having to spend money during this time of reduced salaries and income for so many people.  

In Hardin County, between 2016-2017 at least 19% of the children lived in poverty and 15,140 people lived with food insecurity.  Those numbers were released from the University of Kentucky’s Community Assessment Report.  Currently those numbers have increased due to a larger amount of people being out of work due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  People are starting to access food pantries and other resources at an alarming rate.  

A non-profit organization called Mission Hope for Kids (MHFK) within Hardin County is focused on meeting the needs of families in the local community and their children by providing academic support, food and clothing, and spiritual support for at-risk children who may have some food insecurity needs year round. Since the COVID-19 outbreak MHFK started to distribute food commodity boxes to the families of kids who participated in their program.  Eventually they teamed up with Kentucky State University’s Cooperative Extension program extension agent to meet the need of their students by providing them with some family resource kits that included educational resources and activities along with project supplies.  

Kentucky State University’s Cooperative Extension Program was able to provide a total of 240 kits family resource kits to the students & their families between the months of April 2020-June 2020.   The kits were provided one time in the month of April 2020 and 2 times for the month of June to 80 families. The family resource kits provided information about nutrition education and eating healthy while being active.  

The family resource kits included fact sheets on Nutritional Education such as: How to read Nutrition facts labels, How to Include more Whole Grains in your diet, and many more topics.  In addition, the kits also provided the students with experimental learning activities and craft tool kits to create their own STEM related projects.   According to testimonials given by students about the kits, one of the student’s reaction to getting the family resource kit,” I am happy to receive the kits because they already have everything inside of the packet to complete the projects and activities.” Other testimonials included kid’s being excited to receive the kits because their brother or sister were receiving kits from another program however they were not.  Therefore, the kits provided the students’ with a way to stay connected to some form of education,   while they were unable to socialize with their friends and participate in educational activities with the mentor’s at Mission Hope for Kids due to social distancing.  

In closing, this program has been one of the most innovative programs offered from Kentucky State University’s Cooperative Extension programs.  The program actually kept students engaged and learning while they were outside of the classroom.   The program will continue to provide students with new learning experiences and activities that will encourage their interest in nutrition and eating healthy by eating more fruits and vegetables. 

Pictures: 

Picture Above: FCS Agent, Chandra DeRamus, wearing a facial mask at the Mission Hope for Kids drop off location, inside of their office in Hardin County preparing to fill the boxes with the Family Resource kits. 

Pictured Above: Food commodity boxes with family resource kits being ready to be picked up by community members at Mission Hope for Kids. 

Pictured Above: Chandra DeRamus, FCS Agent Hardin County, preparing to make the drop off at Mission Hope for Kids that have the family resource kits inside of the bags. 

Pictured Above: Photos of the Building for Mission Hope for Kids and Vans were students are dropped off for after school programs. 

Pictured Above: Information included in Family Resource Kits about Nutrition Education. 

Pictured Above: Mission Hope for Kids food commodity Pick up location for families in Hardin County.