September 2024 Edition

Family & Consumer Sciences
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National Preparedness Month
Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? Make sure you are financially prepared for emergencies by planning to build an emergency fund. Emergency funds are savings for emergency use, such as if your car breaks down or you find yourself unexpectedly out of work. This fund should be different from other savings accounts that may be intended for future college costs, vacations, or retirement. Be sure that your emergency fund is easy to access in case of an actual emergency. You should be able to easily withdraw money from the account at any time if disaster strikes.

While any amount of money is helpful in an emergency, you should aim to save enough to cover 3 to 6 months of typical expenses for your family. Consider making emergency savings automatic by directing a portion of your paycheck to savings through direct deposit. Explore other savings strategies, such as rounding up the change from everyday purchases and directing that money to savings. For example, if you spend $3.50 on coffee in the morning, put $0.50 into savings. Or, better yet, brew your coffee from home and invest that money  instead! Small amounts add up quickly if you save them consistently. Start building your emergency fund today to help ensure you are financially prepared for emergencies.

Source: Nichole Huff, Assistant Extension Professor for Family Finance and Resource Management

 

Upcoming Events:
Snippy Jim
Decluttering & Organizing
Blankets of Love
Lunch & Learn
Homemaker Leader Lesson: Self Love
Cross Stitch Retreat
 

 

A Note from your new FCS Agent:
Hello! My name is Kimberly Hope-Thomas, and I am the new Taylor County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent. I might be a familiar face around the Taylor County Extension Office to you, since for the last three years I served as the Taylor County 4-H Agent. I love this community and am honored to be able to serve in a new role.
I grew up on a beef cattle farm in Metcalfe County in a little town called Summer Shade, Kentucky but have lived in Campbellsville for the last eight years. I am married to my wonderful husband, Chris, who is from Corydon, Indiana. He is a great supporter of my work in Extension and helps greatly with our two kids, Gavin (who is five) and Adeline (who is three).
I am passionate about learning and look forward to equipping our community with practical skills that can save money, improve nutrition, and help families manage life. I hope to continue sharing the work and efforts of our Taylor County Cooperative Extension Office with the public so that more people can benefit from the services we provide.
Please feel free to stop by and say hi the next time you are in the office!

 

Upcoming Events:
Homemaker Blood Drive
Let's Do Lunch! at the Campbellsville University Dining Hall
Barn Quilts
 

Book of the Month:
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghost Stories and Recipes from 5 Generations of Black Mountain Cooks
Crystal Wilkinson (2023)
This book is part memoir, part cookbook, because it weaves fiction with historical records, memoirs, and interviews to present a unique culinary portrait of Black Appalachians. Forty recipes rooted deep in the past yet full contemporary flavor are brought to vivid life through stunning photography and beautiful illustrations.
Crystal was baking a jam cake when she felt her late grandmother’s presence. She soon realized she wasn’t the only cook in the kitchen. These were her kitchen ghosts, five generations of Black women who settled in the Appalachia Mountains and made a life of legacy and cuisine.
Crystal Wilkinson is an African American feminist writer. She teaches at UK. She was the 2021 O. HENRY PRIZE winner and the 2022 NAACP Image Award.
This book review is by Debbie Wilcoxson, member of Modern Day Homemakers and Taylor County Cultural Arts and Heritage Chairperson.

The Taylor County Public Library and the Taylor County Extension Office have a copy of the 2024-2025 KEHA Booklist. Pick up your copy today! You can Also find a copy online at https://bit.ly/kehabooklist.

Flocking for a Cure

September Calendar of Events

Moneywi$e: Building and Emergency Kit on a Budget

Scalloped Okra and Corn Recipe