Traditions of giving back build hope for a nourished Kentucky
As we prepare to share Thanksgiving with our neighbors experiencing food insecurity, we are keenly aware that this work relies on the help of Sharing Thanksgiving and Basket Brigade volunteers. Since 2017, over 2,200 people have helped ensure there’s an opportunity for our neighbors to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.
Mike Watts has helped with his wife during thirteen Basket Brigade events. “Learning that many do [often] experience hunger … placed a burden on my heart that I felt led to do something about.” Last year, he and his wife also volunteered during Sharing Thanksgiving by delivering turkeys and holiday boxes. As a regular donor and volunteer, Mike continues to selflessly commit himself to reducing hunger for his neighbors.
For 10 years, Adriane Higgins has also given her time and resources to support neighbors facing hunger. After recognizing many of the children she mentored, tutored or coached didn’t have enough food to eat, she began supporting her community in a dedicated way at God’s Pantry Food Bank.
Adriane knows what it’s like to face challenges—growing up in foster care, watching her mom experience homelessness, experiencing her own food insecurity, and the loss of her young daughter— they all impact the choices she makes today. Time and again, she chooses to invest in the lives of others with great love and hope for a better tomorrow. “There is a saying that I was raised on, ‘It takes a village,’ and I believe that with the help of our communities, families, and friends, that hope [for a nourished life for every Kentuckian] will turn into a reality.”
This year, Mike and Adriane are both planning to help make Thanksgiving a possibility for others through our Basket Brigade event. There are so many dedicated and caring people like them who are resolved to end hunger in our 50-county wide “village.” We are so grateful for the many contributions that happen daily in every county we serve. Our collective efforts are creating more resilient and nourished communities—Thank You!
