Infant Resource Center
The Kathleen Lunceford Hutchins Infant Resource Center
(IRC)
The IRC is a ministry of Immanuel Baptist Church with the mission of sharing God’s love by helping those in our community experiencing financial hardship to provide basic needs for their newborn and infant children.
The IRC serves infants from newborn to 18 months old in families with serious financial hardship who live in Frankfort or Franklin County.
Referrals for services usually come from social service agencies, friends, relatives, former clients, physicians, or the hospital.
We will also take calls directly from those in need.
Assistance with basic infant supplies include things such as diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles, bibs, pacifiers, baby lotion, baby wash, bath tubs or bath slings, formula, table booster seats, car seats, cribs and crib mattresses and other such items.
If we do not or are not able to provide a resource, we will try to connect the family with a local provider who will. Additionally, we do not provide any supplies prior to the birth of the child, with the exception of car seats, with stipulations. Please reach out with questions.
What to Expect
- The parent or guardian must bring in a picture ID, such as a driver’s license, and a copy of the infant’s birth certificate (official or from the hospital).
- Guardians will need to provide additional documentation. Proof of residency may be requested.
- A conversation with our IRC Director will be conducted to complete a brief application.
Hours of Operation
The IRC is open two Wednesdays each month from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The schedule for each month may be obtained by calling the office number and listening to the message. Clients are served by appointment and should call ahead to set up a time to be seen.
Contact Information
The IRC office can be reached by telephone at (502) 223-7630. Messages will be returned as quickly as possible.
Donations Accepted
Donations of gently used baby items such as booster seats, strollers, high chairs, swings, baby monitors, bottles, breast pumps, infant books, and toys are accepted.
We do not accept donations of clothing, car seats, cribs, or crib mattresses. We also accept donations of new diapers, wipes, diaper creams, etc.
Monetary donations can be made to the church, with the designation “Infant Resource Center.” We can provide a letter of receipt for any donations upon request.
Location
The IRC is located on the second floor of Immanuel Baptist Church at 1075 Collins Lane in Frankfort.
The church is situated directly in front of Collins Lane Elementary School. A city bus stop is located near the center at the intersection of Collins Lane and Bluegrass Avenue.
History
The early beginnings of this ministry came from a group of Immanuel’s Acteens (teenage girls) who attended a National Acteens Convention in Louisville in July of 1998.
There, as part of community outreach, they were assigned to work in an Infant Resource Project sorting clothing. This spurred their interest in beginning such a ministry in Frankfort. They involved Immanuel’s Missions Ministry Team, investigated to see what was needed in the community, obtained permission from Immanuel to house the ministry at the church, and put together plans modeled after the Louisville Program, even getting advice from that program. The IRC first opened in October of 1999 and has been in continuous operation since that time.
The first director of the IRC was Kathleen Lunceford Hutchins, a very caring and compassionate person who fostered that kind of atmosphere for the ministry and recruited a crew of like-minded volunteers to assist in carrying out the Center’s mission.
She had a gift for personally connecting with many of the single parent clients through her own experiences as a single parent. She continued in the ministry until her untimely death in January of 2002. The center was renamed the Kathleen Lunceford Hutchins IRC in honor of her service to the center and its clients.
The IRC is directed by Gena Woestman and also has a small crew of dedicated volunteers who commit to serving once a quarter during our Wednesday office hours. They typically put inventory away, fill client orders, greet clients and make them feel welcome, clean up donated items and sometimes put together items that need some assembly. Other volunteers also help with purchasing inventory for the IRC. Please reach out if you’re interested in making a donation or volunteering your time with the IRC.