A new website documents all the resources available to help Madison County young people and makes it convenient for more "community partners" to enlist in the effort.

The Madison County Promise Station is an outgrowth of Madison County's participation as a Community of Promise through the America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth. More and more community partners - colleges, universities, schools, businesses, organizations and individuals -- are working to deliver to local youth the five promises of America's Promise: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, marketable skills and opportunities to serve.

The website, www.madisoncountyspromise.org, is "an excellent hub for everyone in the community to find out what's available for children," said Amber Jones, director of Madison County's Promise. Jones, a senior speech communication major at Eastern Kentucky University, is an America's Promise Fellow and a member of the national Youth Partnership with America's Promise.

In 1999, EKU became the Commonwealth's first University of Promise and its AmeriCorps program continues to deliver literacy programs in more than 20 counties in central and southeastern Kentucky. The Madison County Community of Promise Program is based at EKU.

Madison County is one of 10 Communities of Promise in Kentucky, but the first community to establish a Promise Station website, according to Jones.

Community Partners can easily update information about their services to youth on the website, and new partners can make their volunteer commitments on the site.

"The benefits of partnership are many," Jones said. "Partners can promote their programs and commitment to youth, drive traffic to their website, post their in-kind, personnel or financial needs, and create an organization homepage highlighting programs, commitments and a wish list."

Community partners identified on the website are EKU Junior Panhellenic, Colonels Who Care, EKU Student Government Association, an EKU Public Speaking class, Berea College Bonner Scholars Program, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Bluegrass, Cumberland Valley National Bank, Madison County Attorney's Office, Madison County Fiscal Court, Berea National Bank, Telford Community YMCA, and the Boys and Girls Club of Madison County.

"I'm real proud to see the response we've had," Jones said. "We have quite a bit of
information already on the site."

For more information, visit the website or contact Amber Jones at 859-622-8472 or 606-224-0184, or madisoncountyspromise@hotmail.com.