Bonner Program, Dakota Meyer Team Up to Feed the Needy This Thanksgiving

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- Lindsey Wilson College student Kelli Semones wants to make sure that every Adair County family has a meal this Thanksgiving.

That's why she is leading a team of about 30 LWC Bonner leaders who are teaming up with Sgt. Dakota Meyer to create the Backpack HOPE program. The initiative aims to provide area needy residents a backpack filled with a Thanksgiving meal.

Through the end of this week, the Bonner scholars program is accepting donations of canned food and boxes of dressing. They will purchase meat through a grant to the Bonner scholars program.

Food may be donated at either the Career Services-Civic Engagement-Bonner Program House, 203 Lindsey Wilson St., or Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center, 430 Helen Flatt Drive.

Semones said they hope to collect enough food to fill 240 backpacks.

"We decided that 240 is the number it's going to take to meet those who will be in need this holiday season," said Semones, a human services & counseling junior from Versailles, Ky. "We arrived at that number by consulting with members of the community -- including the school system and local agencies -- who could help us determine that need."

The backpacks will be distributed before Thanksgiving from the Career Services-Civic Engagement-Bonner Program House. Semones said they can make deliveries to families who are unable to collect a backpack.

"We're so pleased to be teaming up with Sgt. Meyer to address this need in his home community," said Semones, who is co-leader of the Bonner program's Team Poverty and Global Health.

For more information about Backpack HOPE, contact LWC Director of Civic Engagement and Student Leadership and Bonner Leader Co-Director Amy Thompson-Wells bonner@lindsey.edu or (270) 384-8689.