Big Sandy Community and Technical College campus libraries work hard to serve as a hub for providing academic and non-academic assistance to students. Types of assistance provided include food pantry bags (NEST bags), holiday presents, and the laptop program. This year the BSCTC libraries are partnering with faculty and staff to host their second annual present drive for students who might need help providing a holiday present for their children. Last year the present drive served over one hundred children, and we are getting close to serving one hundred children again. Judy Howell, Director of Library Services and ACE, stated that “it’s important for the College to meet all the needs of our students whether that be food, technology or presents for their children at this time of the year and our libraries enjoy providing this assistance to our students.”

Additionally, BSCTC libraries have been working closely with the NEST to provide students with free pantry food bags and food cards food cards (when available) daily since September 2020. Students can pick up one food pantry bag per week at any of our three library locations on the Pikeville, Prestonsburg, or Mayo campuses. During this time the libraries provided over 600 pantry bags to Big Sandy CTC students.

To meet the technological needs of our students, the library has received around 150 laptops that can be checked out and used by our students. The libraries knew from student reports that some students do not have internet at home. The library is now providing access to MiFi’s (free internet) for our students. This program was in partnership with Brandie Davis one of our English faculty members. Each year the library partners with a variety of departments, faculty, and staff to serve the needs of our students. It is the goal of the library to be the hub of our campuses and student life on campus.

If you would like to share how we have assisted you or have suggestions about how we can serve you better please comment below.

New Library Assistant!

We are thrilled to welcome Madison Justice to the library crew as our Pikeville library assistant.  She can provide assistance most frequently in person at the Pikeville campus.    Madison writes:  

I have a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky with a major in English and a minor in History.  I also have a Master of Letters in Medieval English Literature from the University of St. Andrews.  I have worked as a writing tutor and a research tutor for the University of Kentucky.  I enjoy doing various crafts such as crochet, knitting, and sewing. I am always up for a chat about any of those or anything else that might pop up.

Madison keeps our library open until 7 pm on the Pikeville campus.  Her e-mail is mjustice0044@kctcs.edu and she can be reached in the library at 606-218-1272.

The Library is closed

on Thursday November 25 and Friday November 26.

Online ACE services are closed from

Wednesday November 24, 7 pm until Monday November 30, 8 am.

NetTutor is available via Homework Help module in Blackboard.

Need food assistance over break?

Here is a list of food pantries in the surrounding area:

Pike County

Thankful Hearts Food Pantry Inc.

648 Adams Rd Pikeville, KY 41501

(606) 437-6221

trissiascott@att.net

https://www.facebook.com/thankfulheartsfoodpantryinc/

Floyd County Emergency Food and Shelter Services

Auxier Food Pantry

Located at: 21 South River St.; Auxier, KY 41602 (Old Auxier Elementary School, across from Auxier Park)

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 135; Auxier, KY 41602

Contact Person(s): Gail Spradlin 886-0709

Service Days/Hours: 3rd Thursday of the Month, Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Emergencies accepted upon call request; please leave a voicemail and an employee will get back with you to set up an appointment time for pick-up as soon as possible.

Service Area: Service area consists of Auxier, East Point, Route 3 (on Floyd County side), Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, up to the Armory Road on Route 321 (going towards Prestonsburg), and to the Johnson/Floyd County line in the opposite direction (old road toward Paintsville).

E-mail/Website: gail@myhandinhand.org

Heavens Harvest Food Pantry

Sponsered by: Heavens Harvest Food Pantry

Located at: 3534 KY RT 122 Printer KY (3 miles above the Hall Funeral Home on the right)

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 394; Martin, KY 41649

Contact Person(s): Renee Thornsberry 1-502-517-9233

Service Days/Hours: 3rd Saturday of each month Hours: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. (Call or message us in Case of Emergency) October is the 4th Saturday because of the Red, White and Blue Days

Service Area: From the City of Martin on Rt 1428 to Allen Park includes Oklahoma Hollow and anyone with a Martin physical address, not a post office box that's a mailing address. Including Arkansas Creek and others roads in that area.

E-mail/Website: reneedthornsberry@hotmail.com & heavensharvestfoodpantry@gmail.com

Facebook at Renee D. Thornsberry page Heavens Harvest Food Pantry https://heavensharvestfood.wixsite.com/website

Jacob’s Ladder Food Pantry

Sponsered by: Jacob’s Ladder

Located at: 22 Main Street; Allen, KY 41601 (beside Allen City Hall)

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 434; Allen, KY 41601

Contact Person(s): Fudd Parsons 874-9859

Service Days/Hours: 3rd Thursday of every month from 10 am till 2 pm. Call for emergency

Service Area: Allen area, Dwale, Hinton holler. Gas Fork. Oklahoma Holler,1428 up to seasons Inn. Cow Creek, Calf Creek. Buffalo, Emma, Daniels Creek across Banner Bridge to plum orchard branch

Email/Website: fuddparsons@yahoo.com

Middle Creek Community Development Club Food Pantry

Sponsered by: Middle Creek Community Development Club

Located at: Chester Grove Rd Rt 114 Middle Creek ( next to Middle Creek Fire DEPT Station One )

Mailing Address: 657 Granny Fitz Branch; Prestonsburg, KY 41653

Contact Person(s): Charles Hackworth 606-886-3606

Service Days/Hours: 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Thursday 12 – 1:30 pm (Call for emergency)

Service Area: From 404 on Highway 114 to Magoffin County line, State Road Fork to Bonanza

Email/Website: nelsonelmina@hotmail.com

Mud Creek Clinic Food Pantry

Sponsered by: Mud Creek Community Health Corporation

Located at: Rt 979, approximately 7 miles from US 23, behind Mud Creek Clinic at Grethel

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 129; Grethel, KY 41631

Contact Person(s): Eula Hall 606-587-2246or587-1124.Linda Adam's 606-213-8514.

Service Days/Hours: 8-4:30,food distribution is the last week of the month. (Call in Case of Emergency)

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Prater Creek Food Pantry Inc,

Sponsered by: Prater Creek Food Pantry Inc.

Located at: Mare Creek Road, Stanville, KY 41659

Mailing Address: Mare Creek

Contact Person(s): Jack Stanley (606)-794-7945 Rick Burchett (606)-424-5175

Service Days/Hours: 3rd Saturday Each Month -10:00 AM -12:00PM

Service Area: Service Area: US 23 from Banner to Pike-Floyd county line at Boldman including Penn Hook,Harold,to Mouth of Toler Creek,Coldwater ,Betsy Layne,Pike-Floyd Hollow,Justell, Stanville,Mare Creek,Tram, Ivel,Tom's Creek and Banner to Dana Post office.

E-mail/Website: jack_c_stanley@yahoo.com

Saint Vincent’s Mission Food Pantry

Sponsered by: Saint Vincent’s Mission

Located at: 6369 KY Rt. 404; David KY 41616

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 232; David, KY 41616

Contact Person(s): Jennifer Farkas-Sparkman 886-2513

Service Days/Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays, Hours: 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Emergency by appointment

Service Area: Wayland, Estill, Hueysville, Bosco, Eastern, our side of 1210, Hippo, Pyramid, David, Blue River all the way to KY RT 114.

Email/Website: stvm@stvincentmission.org

Paintsville Area

• 12 Basket Food Pantry 606-789-3995
• First Baptist Church 606-789-3168
• Highlands Church of Christ 606-789-3995
• Housing Authority of Paintsville 606-789-4455

First Church of God (Dan Heaberlin) Food Pantry

Warfield Area

• Appalachia Reach Out 606-298-7470
• Martin County Senior Citizens 606-298-3459
• RAMP Food Pantry 606-626-6654

While browsing in the library's articles, I found this one -- simple swaps and improvements to keep your meal scrumptious, but someone in your house healthier (maybe even you).   Built for diabetics but shareable to all.

New Twists on the Side: Tweak Your Side Dishes for a Healthier Meal

Librarian Robyn Williams hosts a watch party for Wind River, a 2017 film about the investigation of a young Indigenous woman's death in the Wind River Reservation of Wyoming.  Starring Marvel universe fan faves Elizabeth Olsen (The Avengers, Wandavision) and Jeremy Renner (The Avengers, Hawkeye), the film highlights the crisis of missing and endangered women of Native background.   It is presented as part of Native American Heritage Month.

Details about the online showing and the in-person showing are below.

• Wednesday November 17 - 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Teams - rsvp rwilliams0435@kctcs.edu
• Monday November 22 - 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Pikeville campus, ATC 201 

Happiness isn't a constant state, but ♦moments of joy♦ to feel truly thankful.

As we prepare to celebrate the season of homecoming and thankfulness, here are few articles to keep you in the spirit of gratitude.

• Ask Yourself: What are You Thankful for?

  • If your list is short - "My health, my family" - I get it. What could be more priceless, especially now? But think harder. Raising your gratitude game can make you feel happier during these unsettled times.

• The Art and Science of Gratitude: Increasing Happiness and Wellbeing One Positive Thought at a Time

  • At a simple level, gratitude shifts your focus from the negative to the positive.

• The Thankful Heart: Learning to Grasp Gratitude in Everyday Life

  • I have found myself becoming less conscious of the future, more connected to the here and now. What a beautiful discovery, the true meaning of that word, "present." A most precious gift.

• The Power of Gratitude in the Workplace

  • From an organizational, policy and leadership perspective, Cadiz says that employers should create formal or informal opportunities for people to express gratitude. Including gratitude in a business plan is an essential step that many business leaders miss, and that omission can have financial consequences.

Diwali is the five-day Festival of Lights, celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world.  The word Diwali comes from the Sanskrit word deepavali, meaning "rows of lighted lamps". Houses, shops and public places are decorated with small oil lamps called diyas.   Here are some library articles about this year's Diwali Festival, which began November 2 and continues through November 6. (Because the festival is based on lunar cycles, this year the biggest day of the festival is today, November 4.)

For South Asian people across the world, Diwali marks new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil. While celebrations look different from family to family, one feature is constant: setting out small lights that represent how light guides the way amid dark times. Find out more about the history and customs of Diwali here.

For many, Diwali marks the beginning of the new year. It is observed by lighting rows of oil lamps and exchanging greeting cards, clothing and other gifts. Family bonds are strengthened and forgiveness sought.  Joyous festivities and parties abound. Melas, or fairs, are held in almost all Indian towns and villages. In the countryside, the mela includes a festive marketplace where farmers bring their produce to sell and clothing vendors have a heyday.

We have online children's books for Diwali. 

It's Diwali!

Diwali

New Year's Celebrations in Different Places

This Diwali season shoppers can bring a little extra light to the kids of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital while supporting South Asian-owned businesses. GYFTING, an online marketplace for curated gift boxes, is releasing a limited-edition Diwali gift box, part of whose proceeds will go toward St. Jude research and treatment of childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Shoppers will also have an option to donate to St. Jude when they make their purchase.