Ally Daniels of Knox County, a 2018 graduate of The Center for Rural Development’s Rogers Scholars program and a junior at Barbourville High School, organized a Rogers Scholars community service project to collect food and pet supplies for the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter
Ally Daniels of Knox County knew she wanted to do something to help animals for her Rogers Scholars community service project.
“After visiting the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter and seeing what they needed, I left determined to provide every dog with a Christmas dinner,” said Daniels, a 2018 graduate of The Center for Rural Development’s Rogers Scholars program. “I had so much fun with this project, it didn’t even seem like work.”
Daniels coordinated a joint community effort to collect food and other donated pet supplies for doggie dinner bags. Each dog at the animal shelter received a can of food, a collar, a leash, a toy, and a bag of treats for the Christmas holidays.
“I knew I had to do this project. There is simply nothing I am more passionate about than animals,” said Daniels, a junior at Barbourville High School. “I have always wanted to do something for my local shelter.”
The high school student used social media to let people know about the project and set up a collection site at Barbourville Independent School’s Board of Education office for the community to drop off donated items.
“Through donations and financial contributions, we were able to fill doggie treat bags for 50 dogs at the animal shelter,” Daniels said. “This has been a wonderful, invaluable opportunity.”
The doggie dinner bags project was made possible through the partnership of the Barbourville city schools, Barbourville Beta Club, Girdler Elementary School, and Artemus Christian Church, in addition to family and friends.
“We would like to thank Ally Daniels for picking us to do her project,” said Deanna Myers, a volunteer at the animal shelter. “The most humane society starts with a humane community. Because of caring people animals’ lives are made better!”
Daniels is the daughter of William and Elizabeth Daniels of Barbourville.