LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sullivan University is partnering with a growing charity for people experiencing homelessness to help bring its reach to Kentucky. 

Sullivan has just begun the new partnership with nonprofit Backpacks for Humans. It’s a group based in Toledo, Ohio that’s working to expand to major cities all across the United States. The Backpacks for Humans mission is to collect food, drinks, toiletries, clothes and survival gear for people experiencing homelessness, then give it out to them in backpacks.

On Friday, employees with Sullivan’s Student Services offices across its Louisville and Lexington campuses will hand out donations for people in need to take with them in backpacks.

The Louisville team will hand out items Friday morning at Wayside Christian Mission, and in Lexington, team members will hand out supplies at the Lexington Rescue Mission in the afternoon.

“It makes you feel good about doing something good for the community,” said Cara Dillard, one of Sullivan’s Student Services employees.

Sullivan’s Student Services office works closely with student clubs and organizations, along with university staff members, which helped in getting the word out that they needed donations.

The team is already thinking ahead, planning to hold another donation drive later in the year and give out coats along with needed items. They’re also coordinating with the school’s cooking club to hand out sack lunches to people in the homeless community this summer.

Dillard hopes Friday will just be the beginning of a great partnership between Sullivan University and Backpacks for Humans.

“The hope is that it stays here and it’s not just Sullivan doing it in the future, that we have other places in Louisville, other universities, other companies who get involved in this and kind of do the same thing,” Dillard said.