KY Ready Corps Alumni News
VERONICA PUGH, KY READY CORPS MEMBER 2021-2022, BRIGHTON CENTER, NEWPORT
Brighton Center tackles the issues that prevent people from becoming self-sufficient, removing the barriers they face, and creating hope so that goals can be achieved and dreams realized. Brighton Center provides a wide range of programs and services which include meeting basic needs, adult and early childhood education, workforce development, substance abuse recovery for women, affordable housing, financial education and counseling, youth services, and neighborhood based programs.
Veronica Pugh's KY Ready Corps assignment focused on food insecurity. She helped clients connect with Brighton's services, including SNAP benefits, and provided other resources for those recovering from emergency situations. "We were extremely pleased with Veronica, so much so that we hired her after she completed her KY Ready term of service."
PAGE EDWARDS, KY READY CORPS MEMBER 2019-2020, METCALFE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Page's service with MCEM initially involved community outreach and general preparedness plans, as well as review of current Metcalfe County emergency plans and updates. Her service changed abruptly and became COVID-19 response focused in the spring of 2020.
In July 2020 she received an offer of a full-time position as Treasurer of Metcalfe County, which she will begin at the end of her KY Ready Corps service in August.
MASON LAMBERT, KY READY CORPS MEMBER 2018-2019, DAVIESS COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
As an AmeriCorps Member, Mason worked on a project at DCEMA that focused on supporting regional VOADs (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters), specifically engaging youth in emergency/disaster response initiatives.
This led to a full-time position with the International Disaster Emergency Service in Indiana, where Mason is now the U.S. Disaster Response Coordinator -- "...exactly what I hoped for, after my AmeriCorps service!".
TABAN HERRINGTON, KY READY CORPS MEMBER 2018-2019, CITY OF LEXINGTON/GLOBAL-LEX
As a KY Ready Corps Member, Taban worked with Global Lex, Lexington's multicultural organization and with LEM to reach out to the extensive non-English speaking community to better understand their needs in terms of emergency preparedness.
Taban Herrington was hired by Lexington Emergency Management Agency as the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) Administrative Specialist. Taban works to organize exercises and trainings for CSEPP events, and is passionate about ensuring all communities are engaged in emergency preparedness. Taban earned her master’s degree from the University of Kentucky in Communication, where she specialized in risk and crisis communication.