Kentucky State Police help deliver 350 Thanksgiving meal bags to people in need

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LETCHER COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Looking to help those in need this Thanksgiving, Kentucky State Police partnered with the Whitesburg Food City for a Thanksgiving meal giveaway.

“Well we’re always trying to look for different ways to try to help the community out and this is just one of those ways we can reach a lot of people in a wide spread area,” Trooper Matt Gayheart with KSP Post 13.

With the help of the Whitesburg Food City, KSP and several family resource and youth service center coordinators of Letcher County delivered everything you would need to make a Thanksgiving meal to families on Tuesday.

“Trooper Mikey Caudill started this program back in 2016 as a pilot program with only 50 turkeys and one county,” said Trooper Gayheart. “Over those years, it has grown to 350 turkeys, and we’re covering all five counties in our post districts, so to watch this program grow and evolve has been an absolute blessing.”

Letcher County FRYSC coordinators said the need for these programs is there, specially following July’s devastating flood.

“One of the best parts of this job is to see the families faces and the children at school and stuff; that we’re making a difference, just a little smile at a time,” said Chad Bates, FRYSC Coordinator for the Whitesburg area.

Trooper Gayheart said this program would not be possible without the help of the Whitesburg Food City and the local FRYSC coordinators. Gayheart added he hopes to give out even more meals next year.

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