LEXINGTON, Ky. – On April 23, University of Kentucky College of Social Work faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends will unite in support of One Day for UK, the University’s annual giving day.
This year, gifts to the College of Social Work will support the KY E.D.G.E. (Education. Development. Growth. Empowerment) Scholarship Fund, a statewide initiative aimed at expanding educational access and preparing more Kentuckians for careers in social work and criminal justice—fields that have long struggled to keep pace with the needs of the state’s growing communities.
For College of Social Work alumna Jennifer Hancock, the impact the KY E.D.G.E. Fund can have on Kentucky students inspired her to give back as the One Day for UK match donor, helping create opportunities for the next generation of social workers and criminal justice professionals.
A first-generation college student from Jefferson County, Hancock’s path to social work began with a high school community service project.
“My project was in the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville, where I tutored low-income students living in Section 8 housing,” Hancock shared. “I fell in love with the kids, the program, and that neighborhood. I later learned the work I was doing was part of a community development initiative, which led me to discover social work as a career.”
After earning a scholarship through Metro United Way, Hancock pursued both her Bachelor and Master of Social Work at the University of Kentucky, where she continued her commitment to serving others. She volunteered at the Bluegrass Crisis Center and completed her practicum at Chrysalis House, experiences that would shape her career.
Hancock’s first job was at Chrysalis House, working as a drug support professional on second and third shift, an experience that deepened her understanding of substance use disorder and the individuals and families it affects. Later, her own family experienced the direct impact of addiction, further strengthening her perspective and connection to the work.
Now, as president and CEO of Volunteers of America (VOA) Mid-States, she leads one of the region’s largest and most impactful human services organizations, serving tens of thousands of individuals across Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Southern Indiana. Under her leadership since 2015, VOA has grown into an $85 million enterprise with more than 650 professionals across over 30 programs.
“The intersection of personal and professional experience stays with me every day,” Hancock said. “I don’t take this work for granted. It’s important that I show up as a thoughtful, strategic leader because real lives are at stake. We are dealing with one of the most chronic diseases affecting our country and state, and I take that seriously.”
During her time with VOA, Hancock has spearheaded transformative initiatives in addiction recovery, veteran support—including suicide prevention and housing—services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, restorative justice and public health.
She is also leading VOA’s expansion into affordable housing through several major developments including the Community Care Campus in Smoketown, designed to centralize services for individuals experiencing homelessness; Monarch Station in the Merriweather neighborhood, offering affordable housing and targeted case management; and a new veteran-focused housing community in Southwest Louisville.
Through this work, Hancock continues to give back to the communities that shaped her both personally and professionally.
“Through our work in eastern Kentucky and Appalachia, I’ve met so many talented, accomplished individuals who have faced significant barriers like poverty, lack of transportation, and being first-generation college students,” Hancock said. “Many have had to work twice as hard to get where they are. That’s why it’s so important to make education as accessible as possible.”
As a CoSW alumna whose education was fully funded through a scholarship, Hancock knew she wanted to give back. Supporting the KY E.D.G.E. Fund allows her to help remove the same barriers she once faced and invest in students pursuing careers in social work and criminal justice.
“An investment in social work is an investment in one of the most versatile degrees,” Hancock said. “There are so many different ways individuals can use a social work degree to make the world better. It can be applied in an incredibly diverse number of ways, which makes it a meaningful investment.”
On One Day for UK, that investment becomes an opportunity—not only to support students, but to strengthen the future of communities across the Commonwealth.
For more information and to make a gift to the KY E.D.G.E. Fund, visit the College of Social Work One Day for UK giving page.