By Kate Maddox
The Lend-A-Hand Center, in partnership with the University of Kentucky and the state of Kentucky, is hosting a creek cleanup and well water treatment demonstration from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, March 26. The free and public event offers participants an opportunity to learn about different organizations working on water issues in Kentucky. Both adults and kids are welcome to attend.
"We are thrilled to host this event made possible by UK-CARES," said Kathryn Engle, director of the UK Appalachian Center. "This project shows the possibilities for university-community partnerships relating to health and the environment in Eastern Kentucky. We are thrilled to partner with different water-related organizations working across the Commonwealth."
Participants will meet at the Lend-A-Hand Center, located at 3234 KY 718 in Walker, Kentucky. View directions here. To pre-register, call 606-622-1385. Registration is required due to limited spots.
Participants will receive a $25 Walmart gift card and lunch will be provided. Participants should bring a mask and waterproof shoes/boots. Other cleanup supplies and hand sanitizer will be given at the event. The event will be mostly outside, and social distancing will be enforced.
Learn more about the event here.
This event is co-sponsored by the UK Appalachian Center, the UK Appalachian Studies Program, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute and the Kentucky Division of Water, Groundwater Division. The event is also funded by the Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences (UK-CARES) Community Engagement Project Grant.
About the Lend-A-Hand Center
Founded by Irma Gall and Peggy Kemner, the Lend-A-Hand Center has been serving the community since 1958. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Knox County, Kentucky, and serves the Stinking Creek community. Their mission is to lend a hand and better the quality of life in southeastern Kentucky through educational, spiritual, health and social services.
The University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a “Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers." We are ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures — a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. And our patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the state’s top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky.