Diana Lindsey has been faithfully serving the mission of Backpack Friends since they first launched in 2018, growing from an initial donation of 12 food-stuffed backpacks to kids in need to now more than 165,000 backpacks donated.

Backpack Friends is a local nonprofit whose mission is to make sure kids who depend on school lunches don’t go hungry on the weekends. The way Backpack Friends addresses the issue is collecting food donations in backpacks sent home over the weekends. What started with one school and a group of 12 students has now expanded to schools throughout Williamson, Travis and Burnet counties.

When Diana Lindsey first began her volunteer work with Backpack Friends, she immediately began working on growing partnerships among the business community to help fund their mission. For over six years she’s worked selflessly to expand the mission and vision of wiping out weekend hunger. As event coordinator, she’s helped raise more than $150,000 in funds through several major events including their Heroes Alliance event, Mardi Gras Ball, Holiday Extravaganza and more. Backpack Friends has delivered more than 165,000 backpacks to date and Diana has been there for all of it! 

The founder and CEO of Backpack Friends, Thomas Cottar, says that Diana is not only a faithful and vital supporter of the events and ongoing operations but that she was the key reason they were able to double their operational budget twice in the first two years. “She is a servant leader to her core,” says Thomas. “Diana has given countless hours of networking, fundraising, organizing, planning, speaking, driving, and connecting in order to help grow Backpack Friends’ ability to provide food for children in need.”

As the organization continues to grow and feed more children and take on more local campuses, Diana is a key component in every single step. Board member Jessica Mosman says, “Diana gives so much time and effort to the organization – not only does she spend countless hours leading packing parties and organizing the warehouse, she gives her all to every piece of the mission! Put simply, we would not have the impact we have today if it weren’t for her selfless work and the multitude of hours and work she has invested in feeding children. We’re all incredibly grateful for her leadership and servanthood!”