What we can do to help those in need …

Dec 13, 2021

Students, Faculty and Staff,

I wanted to reach out again to update you on what is being done to help those affected by last weekend’s storms.

While I realize it will take time to heal, there are still things we can do right now to help. Whether that means giving blood, volunteering, or donating bottles of water, our Commonwealth needs us. And as you all know, the mission of the College of Health Sciences is to help the people of Kentucky and beyond attain the highest level of health possible.

Well, our people are in need. Yes, we’ve had students who have been affected directly. We also have faculty and staff who have family in the areas that were hardest hit. As we shared over the weekend, if you have been affected, there are several ways to receive help, from emotional to financial:

If you are part of the UK faculty or staff and you are in need of financial assistance, please complete the CRISIS Fund application on the Staff Senate website: https://staffsenate.uky.edu/crisis
For student-related issues, such as counseling and basic needs support, our Counseling Center (www.uky.edu/counselingcenter) is available to see you immediately. After hours and weekend phone consultation is available by dialing 859-257-8701 and pressing ‘1’ at the prompt.
Additionally, students can engage with the Counseling Center during normal business hours by calling 859-257-8701 or walking in between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The Counseling Center’s welcome desk is located at 104 Mandrell Hall, directly across Limestone Street from the UK Rosenberg College of Law.
During the semester, students can also speak with a Counseling Center clinician through the Let’s Talk program that is offered via Zoom this semester. More information about the program and hours be found at www.uky.edu/counselingcenter/lets-talk.
If you have questions about any other resources or would like to request additional assistance, please do not hesitate to call the Center for Support and Intervention at 859-257-3755.
For more general inquiries, calls can be directed to UK Health Corps at 859-218-SAFE.
For other issues — such as reports of facility damage — please email crisisresponse@uky.edu. Risk Management is working to compile any facility reports and assess damage to provide appropriate support.
If you have additional questions or ideas about how we can support our CHS family over the coming hours and days, please reach out to me or one of your supervisors or professors.
Lastly, please take steps to care for your mental health in this time of recovery: https://www.uky.edu/counselingcenter/

In addition, if you want to help the cause, there are several ways in which to do that, too:

If you have the ability, please feel free to contribute to this fund online: https://uky.networkforgood.com/causes/14622-crisis-program
A fund to assist students is also available if you would like to contribute or if you know of a student in need: https://uky.networkforgood.com/causes/10124-basic-needs-and-persistence-fund

Other ways to donate include:

Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund

https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief

American Red Cross

redcross.org, 1-800-RED-CROSS or text REDCROSS to 90999

United Way of Kentucky

uwky.org/tornado

Blood Drives. To donate blood in your area: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requiremen…

Volunteer in Person. Call the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management at 311 or fill out a survey at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/02e24e0e3ddd4d158a21aaf9a0973384

Again, we will keep you updated on additional information as we receive it, because your well-being — that of our faculty, staff and students — is of the utmost importance.

Please continue to stay safe and well,

Scott