By Kacie Lawrence/For the Sentinel
MURRAY – Keeping up with what community resources are available in a rapidly changing world can be frustrating for anyone, especially for those in a situation that does not quite necessitate calling 911 but still requires some assistance. If you are in Kentucky, there is now a “web app” for that – MyKY.info.
The new site features an app-like interface, giving Kentuckians access to the local services they need. Once on the site, users first choose the information which best suits them in a series of simple selections, namely gender and age (above 25 years old or under 25 years old); selections for specific needs, such as veterans, seniors, immigrants and foster youth, are also available.
After making the appropriate selections, users are led to a map that shows them where they can find the services they are looking for. The site not only offers access to emergency services such as healthcare, food and housing, but shows those in the community where they can find activities and legal aid closest to them. There are also links to crisis hotlines and LIVE help.
For those without access to the internet or cellular devices, free standing kiosks are emerging in many high traffic areas throughout the state. Thanks, in part, to the Community Federal Services Bank (CFSB), one of these free-standing kiosks is available for use at the Calloway County Public Library.
According to MyKY.info, the idea began in the Louisville area when police expressed the need for quick information to help those in need out on the streets. Cathe Dykstra, sought to create something that could help her Louisville community. Dykstra, the CEO and President of Family Scholar House, a nonprofit organization that assists single parents, their children, and foster care alumni, found a resource in the site BigBurgh.com.
Dykstra worked with Bob Firth of Informing Design Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who had helped create BigBurgh.com, along with Joe Lagana of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund and Assistant Chief of Pittsburgh Police Maurita Bryant to create the website LouieConnect.com, which was the precursor to MyKY.info. At first, the site, which was funded in part by PNC Charitable Trusts, UPS Foundation, the Coalition for the Homeless, Metro United Way and Frank and Paula Harshaw, was limited to information within the Louisville metro community, operating much like an online 211 call line offering referrals to services. The site was so successful it inspired other communities in the commonwealth to seek similar assistance. Now, it has grown to include all communities in the commonwealth.
The site is still in its early stages and is vetting and adding new resources regularly. To make the information as accessible as possible, there are both English and Spanish options, with a French option coming soon.
