‘Kick It Up for KEHA Week
October 11th-17th, the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) is celebrating KEHA week across the state. Established in 1932, the state organization’s 13,455 members are dedicated to learning, leading, serving. Programs educate members and the public about topics including heritage skills, attracting and protecting pollinators, nurturing families, food safety, nutrition, reducing waste, leadership, avoiding scams, civic engagement, and more.
Volunteer service is a strong emphasis in KEHA. Members annually report more than 328,000 volunteer hours in support of Extension and community projects with a value of more than $7.3 million dollars to the Commonwealth. Since 1977, KEHA has actively supported the University of Kentucky Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Donations in the forty-three-year history of this project total to more than $1.5 million.
When the coronavirus pandemic began to affect Kentucky communities in the spring, KEHA members answered the call to meet local needs. Members across the state have made home sewn face coverings for healthcare facilities, community organizations, schools, and more. In August, KEHA joined the statewide Coverings for Kids initiative to provide face coverings for school children and personnel. Thousands of face masks have been made, and this work continues.
The Lawrence County Extension homemakers made over 400 of those face mask and donated them to the Lawrence County Community. Additionally, the homemakers work on a variety of other service projects throughout the year to give back to the Lawrence County community. Just a few of these projects include Quilting for Hospice, donating to the local food pantry, donating to the local animal shelter, and giving out a $500 scholarship to a Lawrence county student each year. The homemaker members also donate countless hours of volunteer work to community throughout the year.
KEHA is a volunteer organization that works to improve the quality of life for families and communities through leadership development, volunteer service and education. The organization operates in partnership with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. County Extension Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences work closely with KEHA members and clubs to provide educational programming and coordinate community activities.
To learn more about the Lawrence County Extension Homemakers, contact the Extension office at (606)673-9495.
–Alivia E. Faris
All photos in this article are from 2019, before the COVID pandemic.
