Winter for the Homeless: Greenwood teen expands six-year effort to help those in need

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Greenwood High School freshman is continuing to turn a childhood idea into a consistent grassroots effort to support people in need in Bowling Green.

15-year-old Marleigh Riley launched “Winter for the Homeless” in 2019, when she was in third grade. What started as a simple request for spare change from teachers at her mother’s school raised $180, enough for Riley to assemble 10 backpacks filled with food, hygiene products and cold-weather gear for people experiencing homelessness in Bowling Green.

“To a little girl, it was a huge amount,” Riley said. “I made about ten bags with everything somebody could use. It was just really fun, and I loved doing it.”

Six years later, the project has expanded far beyond what she imagined. Riley now fundraises year-round and buys items in bulk, allowing her to create dozens of backpacks each season. Last year, donations topped $3,000, she said.

Each backpack is packed with essentials, deodorant, shampoo, a winter coat, a hat, socks, gloves, toothpaste, snacks and other small items meant to help recipients stay warm, clean and comfortable.

Riley and her family keep the bags loaded in their cars at all times. They hand them out to people they meet along major streets, at shelters and warming centers, or through referrals sent to Riley directly. She says many of the people they help are familiar faces they check in on throughout the year.

“Anybody we see on the side of the road or at Salvation Army… if they look like they need something, we just give it to them,” she said.

Her father, Chris Riley, has watched the effort steadily expand, filling rooms, closets and even the family vehicles with packed bags and donated supplies.

“It started with a few backpacks on the floor,” he said. “Now the whole backseat is full. Every year it grows because she just wants to help as many people as she can.”

Although the initiative began as a winter-focused project, “Winter for the Homeless” now provides support throughout the year. Riley has donated coats to elementary schools, provided stockings at Christmas, assembled Thanksgiving meals for families and helped with gas money and bills for households facing unexpected hardship.

Riley says she hopes to assemble at least 40 backpacks this season, doubling what she has already prepared.

“It feels amazing knowing I’m making somebody’s winter better,” she said. “They’ll smile immediately.”

The community can support the project through donations on Venmo or Cash App at @helpBGhomeless, or by contacting Riley directly through email at Marleigh.Winterforthehomeless@gmail.com. More information about the initiative, including how to get involved, is available on the project’s website: Winter for the Homeless.