2018 Rogers Scholar Zane Rousey of Hustonville has always had a heart for missions, but this past Christmas he partnered with community leaders in Casey and Lincoln counties to help those in need closer to home.

Rousey, a junior at Casey County High School, organized a holiday food drive and Christmas program to serve families at the Turnersville Mission in Lincoln County for his Rogers Scholars community service project.

He attended the 2018 Rogers Scholars program last summer as a representative from Lincoln County, but now goes to school in nearby Casey County.

During the months of November and December, Rousey collected non-perishable food items from donation boxes located at West Side Community United Methodist Church in Hustonville and Casey County High School.

He distributed flyers regarding the food drive, placed an announcement in the church bulletin, and personally invited the church congregation to help with the Turnersville Mission Food Project.

“I have been involved in missions around the world, so this was a great way for me to be involved closer to home,” Rousey said. “Seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they came to get their food made it all worth it.”

Rousey placed the non-perishable food items in baskets and distributed them to mission families at a holiday banquet two days before Christmas.

Families enjoyed a hot meal together and each child in attendance took home a Christmas gift.

Rousey helped prepare and serve the food, supervised the children during a church worship service presented in conjunction with the holiday meal, and assisted with distribution of the food baskets.

The Rogers Scholars community service project provided Christmas food baskets for 108 families at Turnersville Mission, which serves Lincoln and multiple counties.

Renee King, mission coordinator, commended Rousey for organizing the project and being “a part of a miracle.” The scope of the families served greatly exceeded everyone’s expectations. “It was a perfect time for him to serve and help meet the needs of these families,” she said.

The community food drive was coordinated through a partnership with the Turnersville Mission, West Side Community United Methodist Church, the Gathering Place, Casey County High School, and Casey County Migrant program.

Rousey is the son of Shelley Rousey and Shane Rousey of Hustonville.

Rogers Scholars – The Center for Rural Development’s flagship youth program – is an intensive, one-week summer camp that provides valuable leadership experience and exclusive college scholarship opportunities to help rising high school juniors in Southern and Eastern Kentucky seize their full potential as the region’s next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.

For more information about the Rogers Scholars program, contact Allison Cross, community liaison and youth programs coordinator, at (606) 677-6019 or you can reach her by email at across@centertech.com. Visit www.centeryouthprograms.com to learn more about the Rogers Scholars program.