GOOD MORNING TO YOU IN JENNIFER BAILEYS HOLMBERG, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND LAURA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPARK HOPE JOINS US NOW. GOOD MORNING, LADIES. GOOD MORNING. FIRST, LAURA, WHAT IS SPARKLE OR SPARK HOPE? IT STANDS FOR SINGLE PARENT RESOURCE CENTER. AND SO WE STARTED IN 2003. WE WERE MOM’S RESOURCE CENTER. AND THEN IN 2019, WE CHANGED OUR NAME BECAUSE WE OPENED UP TO SINGLE DADS. WELL. SO NOW WE’RE SPARK HOPE. RUTHIE, LET’S TALK ABOUT FOR GOOD LOUISVILLE. WE KNOW THAT’S COMING ON SEPTEMBER 15TH. IT IS COMING UP, IS THE ORGANIZATION GETTING INVOLVED? WELL, WE’RE GETTING INVOLVED. WE’RE ONE OF THE NONPROFIT ASSETS THAT WE HOPE THE VIEWERS WILL LOOK UP ON, GIVE GOOD WEBSITE AND GIVE TO ON SEPTEMBER THE 15TH. SPARK HOPE RIGHT NOW TRIES TO SPONSOR FAMILIES AND WE ARE SPONSORING 22. WE’D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SPONSOR MORE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT TAKES A LITTLE MORE MONEY. AND SO WE HOPE THAT THE PEOPLE LISTENING WILL US FOR GIFT FOR GOOD. LOUISVILLE AND ON THE 15TH HIT SPARK HOPE AND GIVE TO US WE KNOW THAT BACK TO SCHOOL IS ON THE TOP OF ALL PARENTS MINDS RIGHT NOW. YOU GUYS JUST HAD BIG BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENT. US ABOUT THAT. ABSOLUTELY WELL, GO AHEAD, LAURA. WE DID. WE DID BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT WHERE WE BUY ALL OUR KIDS ARE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. THEY GET THREE OUTFITS, WEAR UNIFORMS. THEY GET THEIR BACKPACKS WITH ALL THEIR SUPPLIES. AND THEN WE TAKE THEM TO SHOE CARNIVAL AND THEY GET TO PICK OUT THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, SHOES, SOCKS, WHICH IS JUST AMAZING. THEY SO MUCH FUN. SO IT WAS A REALLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT. ALL OF OUR KIDS WERE SPONSORED. SO THAT’S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO FOR OUR FOR OUR PARENTS THAT ARE IN OUR PROGRAM. WHAT’S NEXT FOR, SPARK HOPE? WELL, YOU KNOW, REALLY TRIED TO PROVIDE FOR SINGLE THAT ARE WORKING AND GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AND WE HAVE THAT ACCOUNTABLE COMPONENT. THEY NEED TO SHOW US THAT THEY’RE WORKING THEY NEED TO SHOW US THEIR GRADES. AND THAT’S SO IMPORTANT THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE EXAMPLES THEN TO THEIR CHILDREN. AND SO WE PROVIDE A FOOD PANTRY THAT IS LIKE A GROCERY STORE. WE DON’T JUST GIVE THEM A BAG OF FOOD. THEY’RE ABLE TO SELECT THEIR OWN. WE GIVE THEM GAS CARDS. WE HELP WITH RENT DURING MAYBE DIFFICULT TIMES ON EXPENSES. YOU KNOW, WE ALL THEM THE CAR REPAIR, THE UNEXPECTED IN MY HOUSE THAT ALWAYS HAPPENS IN THREES FOR SOME REASON. AND SO WE’RE THERE TO HELP. WE WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT, VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME, VOLUNTEER RESOURCES. AGAIN THOUGH IN ORDER TO FULLY SUPPORT FAMILIES. AND THAT’S WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO US. WE DON’T WANT TO HALFWAY DO IT. WE WANT TO FULLY SUPPORT THEM. AND THAT’S WHY IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE VERY COGNIZANT OF HOW FAMILIES WE BRING ON. WE DO HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, THE CHILDREN AND CHRISTMAS BASKET WITH GIFTS AND DECORATIONS. ONE OF OUR MOMS TOLD US AND NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS. IS THAT TIME WAS SO HARD FOR THEM. THE KIDS WOULD COME HOME FROM SCHOOL, HEARING ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER WONDERFUL THINGS AND SHE KNEW SHE COULDN’T DO IT. AND NOW BECAUSE OF SPARK HOPE SHE CAN AND SHE’S IN THE MIDDLE OF MIDTERMS. AND SO IT REALLY TOOK OUR FINALS. IT REALLY TOOK A BIG OFF OF HER. WELL, IF SOMEBODY TO GET INVOLVED AND HELP OUT SPARKLE, MAYBE SEND SOME MONEY OR VOLUNTEER OR HOW CAN THEY DO THAT? WE ARE AT W SPARC DASH, HOPE AND SPARK ESP RC DASH P DOT ORG AND THEY WILL SEE A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT. THEY CAN HELP AND SUPPORT OUR SINGLE IN THE KENTUCKY AREA. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, LADIES, SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING. PARENTS OUT THERE IN OUR WORK IN OUR REGION. TH