Gloria Kennard, a longtime volunteer in Bryan-College Station, is receiving community support to replace her vehicle following a collision that totaled her truck. The Bridge Ministries initiated a GoFundMe campaign to assist Kennard, who has served the local area for nearly four decades.
Kennard has hosted a free Thanksgiving meal annually since 1988, a tradition that has expanded to feed more than 2,000 people each year. She also provides a similar meal on New Year’s Day and has volunteered at The Bridge Ministries food pantry in Bryan for the past 16 years.
Kennard stated that she began the Thanksgiving tradition while working at Texas A&M University, describing it as a response to a divine prompt to help others.
The setback occurred on July 29 when Kennard was driving to Bible study and choir rehearsal on East Martin Luther King Street. She reported that another driver ran a stop sign and struck the front of her truck. Kennard said she was not injured in the crash, but the vehicle was destroyed.
Her insurance payout was insufficient to cover the cost of a replacement, forcing her to rely on friends for rides in the weeks following the accident.
Emma Bridges, the Development and Outreach Coordinator at The Bridge Ministries, noted that Kennard has been a volunteer at the organization since it opened. Bridges described Kennard as someone who consistently gives her time and energy to others, stating that the organization felt compelled to return that support.
