Our article and interview this month focuses on a charity called Caring Across Counties. In Louisville, Ky. Their mission is to “raise awareness about poverty and to provide essentials items and services to those families most in need.” (caringacrosscounties.org)

Caring Across Counties is a new non-profit organization focusing on extremely needy areas in Kentucky such as Harlan County  in Eastern Kentucky.  The organization started in May of 2013 and was born out of issues arising on Facebook   concerning  the conditions residents in Kentucky were living in. This raised enough concern for the organization to form and has received overwhelming support.

 

So many people live in poverty in this country. According to statistics found on Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity in Kentucky (www.spotlightonpoverty.org)” the poverty rate in Kentucky is 19.4% with an extreme poverty rate of 8.1%. Also noted, “The percent of single-parent families with related children that are below poverty is 46%. And the number of Black and Hispanic children below 200% poverty is 100,000.” This is just an example of the desperate times we now live in. This is a time more than ever to reach out and help someone or as many as you can.

 

KimmHudson and her team have set the wheels of their dream in motion and it is coming to life. Won’t you help support this cause? That could be any one of us in the impoverished conditions we see now one day.  Thanks for caring! Now on to the interview.

 

THE INTERVIEW

 

TD Marant/LLM:  Hello Kimm and welcome to the magazine.  How are you?

 

Kimm: I’m doing great, thank you for asking!

 

TD Marant/LLM:  As we open the interview I would like to start by asking you this question:If you were a circus act which one would you be and why?

 

Kimm: Wow, that is a difficult question. I want to say a clown because I enjoy to laugh and bring joy to others but in all honesty I would have to say I am more like a tight rope walker. I say this because I find myself walking that rope daily, trying to balance family, two jobs and helping run a charity I am very passionate about.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  We know you have a great sense of humor! We also know that you and the team have huge hearts. Please tell us, what exactly is Caring Across Counties?

 

Kimm: Caring Across Counties is an organization founded by people who have seen some of the rough times that we see facing many Kentucky residents and each and every one of us at some point, has received help from someone along the way and we feel the need to “Pay it Forward”. So often we as a community sit back and read or see media reports on poverty, the economy and we comment on how awful it is. But how often do any of us actually take that step to do something to help? This is where our group was at the beginning of this year and it was a decision made that we would no longer sit on the side lines and comment on the state of it all. We are a talented, compassionate group of caring people that can bring about change. Mind you, our expectations are not unrealistic. We know that we cannot “Change the World”. However, we do know that you must lead by example! We want to institute change one family at a time. Just knowing that we were able to affect one life, to provide one smile, is one of the most gratifying experiences.  We have been fortunate to have gathered so much support from residents here and local businesses such as the Peddler’s Mall and Billiards on Bardstown road. That really helps keep us motivated and on task.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  How did you get started in this organization?

 

Kimm: The President of CAC is Amanda Simpson and she, though she doesn’t really know it, can inspire people in so many ways. She is so passionate and giving and it’s infectious. I once told her when we were first getting started and were so overwhelmed with the support we were receiving, “All it takes is a Hippie with a dream and someone who knows what they are doing.” This has since been our private joke. (Well not so private now is it?)  Amanda has put together a wonderful group of leaders to get us started on this amazing journey.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  What inspired you to want to take on this project?

 

Kimm: Again, it was Amanda. When she first approached me about this project I was a little skeptical because I work two jobs and have a family to care for. But, once you hear her explain her own thoughts and feelings, her own personal journey that led her to this idea… how can you say no?

 

TD Marant/LLM:  What areas are you involved with at this time?

 

Kimm: We have been fortunate to be able to serve families in the following counties: Jefferson, Bullitt, Nelson, Bell and Harlan.

 

TD Marant/LLM:   How far does your outreach area go and what other areas would you like to get help to?

 

Kimm: We will serve the entire state of Kentucky. Though honestly, the need is so great everywhere we simply cannot provide for all of that need at this time. Our goal is within five years to have been able to help at least one family from each county. Right now our focus has been in Harlan County where it has been determined to have the most need. Did you know that Harlan County ranks lower on the poverty scale then Puerto Rico?

We want to encourage anyone in the state to contact us if they are in need. We will do our best to provide essential items to them or at the very least help them find an organization in their area that can provide assistance.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  What are the biggest needs for your program?

 

Kimm: As with any non-profit organization we are always in need of money. We have been working for months now to secure our 501c3 for tax deductible donations which will help us greatly. The biggest items that are in need are the basics. Non Perishable food, clothing, and the one thing we simply cannot get enough of is toiletries. We have a list of accepted donations on our website.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  What are the goals of your organization?

 

Kimm: Our goal is really to have helped at least one family from each county in the next five years. We will still focus a lot of our attention in Harlan where they have been hit so very hard by the failing economy and the loss of thousands of mining jobs which are the backbone of the county.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  What kind of funding are you looking for?

 

Kimm: Our needs vary. Some of the funding we raise help us to get all of the items donated out to the families in need while other uses for donated funds are for purchasing items such as first aid kits and other supplies that we are short of when visiting an area. We will always do an assessment of the county and work with county officials to identify specific needs of the area. We want to focus on getting those items first and foremost.  However, when accepting donations we do not ever want to turn a helping hand away. We will always find use for donated items but you can’t always expect the donations to meet the needs you’re trying to fill so we try to purchase what we can.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  Do you have any events coming up for your organization for help from the public?

 

Kimm: We have partnered with Hip Rock Magizine and Louisville Limelight Magazine to sponsor the first ever Resurrection of the Bands! On October 19^th. We are so very excited to be a part of this event and cannot wait to be there! We are also working on what we call “The Mountain Tree Project”. This is similar to the Angel Tree offered by the Salvation Army where we would like to request gifts  for the families in Harlan County and not just for the children, the entire family. We will be headed back there with another load of donations in December along with throwing them a Christmas Party. We also need to raise the funds to make this trip a possibility. We are also working with the Harlan County School System on the “2014 Making of a Prom Star!” In this program we are asking for donations of gently used prom dresses, suits and tuxedos that people have sitting in their closet so that the special rite of passage in High School can be a night many cannot afford.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  Do you have or plan to have any donation areas set up for people to drop off items?

 

Kimm: This has been a difficult challenge for us! We’ve not found anywhere really that will allow us to place bins for donations so it’s made our “King of Collections”, Carlin Sanders have to work double time. Carlin has been a wonderful asset to our organization as he pulls his weight and sometimes ours in hitting the streets and collecting donations. He’s even willing to pick up donations from work places and homes.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  Where can people go for more information about your organization?

 

Kimm: We have a website caringacrosscounties.org and you can also find us on Facebook. We could use all the support we can get on Facebook so please take a moment and visit us there and give us a like and even more importantly, share some of our posts so we can let people know we are here to help.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

 

Kimm: Our board of directors just wants to thank all who have supported us in this incredible journey and to encourage people to pay it forward and when you do, to please consider us for your valuable donations. We need all of the help we can get and every little bit helps. Thank you so much for taking the time to recognize CAC and for this wonderful opportunity to conduct this interview. I sincerely hope that you will follow us on our journey as we touch the needs of Kentucky Families.

 

TD Marant/LLM:  Thank you so much for your time and I wish you great success in the future of your organization. 

 

Story and interview by

TD Marant for Louisville Limelight Magazine

www.tdmarant.wix.com/home