Louisville Area Organizations and Businesses Create New Supports for People Experiencing Homelessness
An article published by Louisville Public Media on Dec. 30, 2024, highlighted efforts of various organizations and businesses in Louisville to reduce barriers for those experiencing homelessness.
For instance, the Louisville Pride Center converted a storage area into a food pantry that operates twice a month. This pantry is designed to be inclusive, does not require ID or proof of residence and aims to create a safe space for individuals who might feel uncomfortable in other settings. Since August 2024, the pantry has served more than 470 people of various backgrounds and identities. The Louisville Pride Center also uses the pantry as a gateway to connect people with other services, such as addiction help and HIV testing.
In the Shelby Park area of Louisville, the Cry Baby General Store offers a warming station where people can get warm food, drinks and supplies. These initiatives are part of a broader effort to build community and remove barriers to accessing essential resources. While warming, those without housing have access to life-saving resources, warm beverages and dry socks.
Those wishing to learn more can visit the Louisville Pride Center’s food pantry website and the Cry Baby’s General Store’s Instagram.
 Bullitt County employees wear green to support awareness for students experiencing homelessness (Photo taken by Daniel Goodrich, BCPS).
A Spotlight on Bullitt County Public Schools
Bullitt County Public Schools (BCPS) and Tiffany Reynolds, the district’s local homeless liaison, are proud of a continued local focus on supporting students experiencing homelessness. These efforts have reinforced the sustainability of efforts previously funded through the American Rescue Plan: Homeless Children and Youth (funding that ended on Sept. 30, 2024).
In November 2024, the district liaison advocated at a local board meeting to officially recognize November as Homeless Youth Awareness Month in Bullitt County. On Nov. 14, the district had “GO GREEN DAY,” where staff and students dressed in green to raise awareness for homeless youth. Volunteers also placed signs around the community to raise awareness and funds for their 24-Hour Homeless Challenge.
On Nov. 21, BCPS held a 24-Hour Homeless Challenge Fundraiser, where participants could spend all or part of the day unsheltered and the liaison collected monetary donations and non-perishable food items and hygiene products. The event raised nearly $2,000 in donations for the BCPS McKinney-Vento program. This challenge was covered by Louisville area WLKY news.
On Nov. 25, the local homeless liaison spoke to Maryville kindergarten students about homelessness, along with a read-aloud of the book, “The Berenstain Bears Help the Homeless."
In December, the local liaison for BCPS received 128 bags filled with blankets, pillows, toys and hygiene products valued at nearly $5,000 from a local organization named Sweet Dreams of Mt. Washington. All donations were shared with students experiencing homelessness.
On Dec. 10, the local liaison received notification that the BCPS McKinney-Vento program is receiving a $32,844 grant from Metro United Way. These funds will help the district hire a part-time teacher and van driver to support McKinney-Vento students. Lastly, BCPS received a donation from Southeast Christian Church-Bullitt targeted at district transportation needs.
All liaisons and stakeholders are encouraged to review how BCPS worked together to support its homeless education program. Please email Zach Stumbo if you have any questions.
Catch On-Demand Webinars on the KDE Media Portal
State coordinator Zach Stumbo and program consultant Jennifer White have worked to expand the number of on-demand webinars related to educating students experiencing homelessness. These webinars can be found on the Kentucky Department of Education Media Portal.
We are happy to share a new webinar resource to support local collaboration between homeless liaisons and school counselors. The webinar – A School Counselor's Role in Supporting Homeless Children and Youth – will benefit liaisons and counselors in supporting students experiencing homelessness. Please note that viewing this webinar does not fulfill the requirements listed in 704 KAR 7:090 for yearly training. We recommend you forward this newsletter to counselors in your district.
Local liaisons are invited to review previously recorded webinars targeting a variety of topics:
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