Jr. Bolts Players Pack 800 Care Packages
More than 150 youth football players assembled bags for people experiencing homelessness at Pius X High School in Lincoln.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Philanthropy
Jr. Bolts Football players assembled 800 care packages for people experiencing homelessness after Saturday morning practice on October 24, 2026. The players raised $5,111 to purchase the items, exceeding their $10-per-player goal.
Why it matters
The project channels youth athletic involvement into direct community aid, with a matching gift from The Live Greater Foundation expanding the reach of player-raised donations. Remaining bags were routed to Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska for distribution.
Players raised $5,111 against a $10-per-player goal across more than 150 participants, and the Live Greater Foundation added a $4,000 match. The stub does not report how many of the 800 bags were distributed directly versus donated to Catholic Social Services.
The players
Jr. Bolts Football
A youth football program whose members, ranging from third through eighth grade, carried out the service project.
The Live Greater Foundation
A philanthropic foundation that provided a $4,000 matching gift, secured the inventory, designed the bags, and managed the donation website.
Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
A regional social service organization that received the remaining bags for distribution to people in need.
The details
Each care package contains water, snacks, hats, gloves, socks, personal hygiene items, a prayer card, and a handwritten note of encouragement from a player. Each player took one bag home to keep in the family car for distributing to people in need, while The Live Greater Foundation handled inventory, bag design, and the donation website.
Timeline
October 24, 2026: Players assembled the care packages after Saturday morning practice at Pius X High School.
Giving Back
The project routes its leftover bags into the existing distribution network of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska, a regional provider that serves people experiencing homelessness across the area. Youth-led drives like this one supply that network with pre-assembled kits rather than raw donations.
Residents who want to support similar efforts can consider donating supplies such as socks, gloves, hygiene items, and non-perishable snacks to local homelessness service providers. Families can also keep a prepared bag in their car to hand out to people in need, as the Jr. Bolts players did.
The takeaway
Small, organized youth efforts can meaningfully multiply a community's impact when a matching gift and an established distribution partner are in place. Keeping a ready-made bag in the car is a simple way for any household to act on the same idea.
Further reading
Explore more local giving stories in Philanthropy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by JournalStar.
