A Kevin Kennedy staff member donates Thanksgiving baskets.

For five years Karen Kovert, a Marketing Specialist at Kevin Kennedy Associates, and her family have helped make sure that needy families in Hamilton County have a happy Thanksgiving. The project starts in the early fall when needy families apply to receive a basket filled with food and other necessities. Volunteers then purchase all the items needed to fill the baskets.

This year Karen and her daughter headed to the store with a big shopping list in hand. Maps are printed and recipients are called to coordinate the delivery. The week before Thanksgiving, the baskets are collected at churches throughout the county and the deliveries start. Usually, the entire Kovert family - five in all, deliver the baskets to families in need.

With the current condition of the economy, there was a huge increase in requests for baskets this year. Karen's church alone delivered more than 650 baskets. Why does she do it? "My family has been so blessed with good jobs and good health that I feel the need to give back. It is also helpful for my teenagers to understand that there are people who need our help and that you are never too busy to volunteer."