CFSB Partners with Family Scholar House to bring community resource kiosks to Western Kentucky

By: CFSB / 29 Mar 2023

Family Scholar House and CFSB are excited to announce that the MyKY.info kiosks are now available in Western, KY.  CFSB hosted a ribbon cutting in March at the McCracken County Public Library, Graves County Public Library and Marshall County Public Library. A fourth ribbon cutting will be held at the Calloway County Public Library after their summer re-opening. The community was invited to a demonstration of the kiosk in each library to understand it's use and why Family Scholar House began the program.

MyKY.info is a mobile-optimized website that pulls together the services in communities across the Commonwealth of Kentucky to provide support for people seeking a needed resource or experiencing a difficult time. It includes only those services that are free and provides all the information needed to know what they offer, where they are located, when they are open, and any requirements to receive help.

"It's been an honor to have an opportunity to work with Family Scholar House to provide our communities with a resource that is simple and personal." -Dana Howard, VP, Director of Marketing, CFSB

"The MyKY.info kiosks provide access to everyone in finding their greatest needs while also providing awareness for organizations who are delivering on promises made to the community. It's really full circle impact!" -Michael Radcliffe, CEO, CFSB

Cathe Dykstra President and CEO of Family Scholar House says "The success of MyKY.info is due to user -friendly design, but also to the enthusiasm of our resource partners and kiosk sponsors like CFSB to support people and families across the Commonwealth in accessing the free resources they most need, when they need them.'

Justin Brasher, Director of McCracken County Library added, "MyKY.info kiosks greatly advance community access to resources in a safe, healthy, and timely manner.  The McCracken County Public Library offers a monthly community resource fair, but we recognize that many citizens cannot attend. People who might not have known who to ask for help - or perhaps even afraid or embarrassed to ask for help - can anonymously connect to community partners at the kiosk or online 24/7 and fill that gap that we've been unable to serve until now. Family Scholar House and CFSB make it possible for family, friends, and neighbors to get the assistance they need on their terms, and on their schedule.

HOW THE "APP" WORKS

The "app" opens with a "For You" dial, allowing the user to filter results by gender/age, family status and other special demographics. If the user wants to see it all, they can go directly to the "Services Dial." There, everyday needs are represented with icons. Clicking on an icon opens an additional menu of resource options leading to a list of available services. Then below these dials are two "urgent need" buttons. The left one leads to "Crisis Lines and Safe Places" and the other is called "Live Help." The latter allows users to initiate a call or contact with available specialists at Family Scholar House's Trager Response Center or be reminded to call 2-1-1. This is an opportunity to summon professional help for someone in a non-911 level of distress.

In order to reach more people seeking resources and support, the web-app is offered not only in English, but also in Spanish. Stay tuned for French coming soon. The language button at the top of the website allows users to toggle between languages. Additionally, free-standing kiosks are located in high-traffic areas to give those without access to smart phones or hand-held technology a way to utilize the web-app to find the free resources they need.