LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 7, 2020) – The Family Resource Youth Services Coalition of Kentucky today announced a $50,000 donation from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kentucky Medicaid to help provide essential items for families in need such as food, hygiene items, rent assistance, utility assistance and supplies and activities that support learning while children are home from school during the COVID-19 response.
For Knox County students and their families, this means that six local FRYSCs out of 100 across the state will be receiving $500 each. Central Elementary, Dewitt/Flat Lick, Girdler, GR Hampton, Knox County Middle, and Lynn Camp Schools were each chosen based on need and the highest population of eligible students.
“We are blessed”, exclaimed Darya Logan, FRYSC coordinator for Lynn Camp Schools when she received news of the donation. Like Logan, all coordinators are faced with a tight budget each year that limits the amount they have available to directly support student needs that this donation identifies.
“Our resource center coordinators do a great job of knowing their students’ families and reaching out to support them,” said Gina Sears, Director of Pupil Personnel for the school district. “We know that this virus has caused a serious disruption to every family. Our coordinators will maximize these funds to benefit as many families as possible.”
Paula Hunter, FRYSCKy President and FRYSC Coordinator in Nicholas County echoed similar comments in a press release from the coalition.
“Family Resource Youth Services Centers (FRYSC) Coordinators have been working 30 years to help alleviate noncognitive barriers for our Kentucky students and families, so they can succeed. We are the conduit in most communities to help manage resource distribution, to provide one-on-one engagement with families and children, and to facilitate connections with other community providers,” said Hunter.
“We have never experienced the unprecedented and immediate urgency that has arisen with this crisis. We are in a situation where academic achievement is now secondary to simple survival. During these challenging times, we appreciate the partnerships that help enhance our ability to make this possible. We are in this together and will get through this together following our motto of “Whatever It Takes.”
To contact your school’s FRYSC coordinator visit our COVID-19 contact page at www.knoxkyschools.com/covid-19-contact-information
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About Family Resource Youth Services Coalition of Kentucky
The Family Resource and Youth Services Coalition of Kentucky (FRYSCKy) is a non-profit organization of professionals (including educators and human services providers) who come together to provide legislative advocacy, training and support for Family Resource and Youth Services Centers Coordinators and their staff in Kentucky. The goal of the Coalition is to promote a network that strives to remove barriers to success in school through learning from each other, sharing resources and collaborating more effectively on behalf of children, youth and families. For more information on the services FRYSCKy provides, please visit www.fryscky.org.
About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kentucky Medicaid
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield serves approximately 130,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in Kentucky. Every day,
members of the Anthem team can be found in Kentucky communities listening to our members, interacting with our
providers and partnering with community-based organizations. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield began serving
Medicaid beneficiaries in Kentucky in 2014. To learn more, visit https://mss.anthem.com/ky.