LEXINGTON KY (LEX 18) — The Catholic Action Center hosted its annual Faith and Community Thanksgiving Day meal. The Lexington facility served hundreds of meals through drive-through service and citywide delivery. While the organization has been doing this for 27 years, this Thanksgiving feels different.
It's the first holiday without Brother Thomas Caudill, a beloved volunteer who dedicated more than 20 years to helping the community.
Christy Stone, Caudill's daughter, honored her father's memory by volunteering at the same place where he spent countless hours serving others.
"He believed to help the people that couldn't help themselves," Stone said. "He was an angel."
What would have been Caudill's 58th birthday became a day of reflection on his lasting impact.
"It was an everyday thing to the point where I was like, Dad, you know what I mean? Like. You have to hang out with your family too," Stone said.
Now experiencing loss herself, Stone understands her father's work in a new way.
"I feel like that's the least we could do. A lot of the people around here, they feel helpless. They have nobody. Unfortunately, we know how that feels now," Stone said.
Brother Caudill was known for driving the Compassionate Caravan, an initiative that delivers cold-weather supplies to people experiencing homelessness.
"I could just only imagine how the homeless is gonna suffer this winter without him. You know he knew certain camps where these people stayed at that none of us know," Stone said.
Despite the loss, Stone wants the community to know that support continues.
"It's never gonna be the same. But I want everybody to know, all the homeless, that there's still people out there that cares like my dad, and the Catholic Action Center is one of those places," Stone said.
Stone reflected on the lessons her father taught through his actions.
"He's left behind a legacy. Not a lot of people would do what my dad did. These people trusted him, he didn't judge them," Stone said.
The experience taught Stone valuable lessons about compassion and service.
"I learned to just be a better person that anybody can wind up in these situations that these people are in, so always be grateful for the stuff that we do have," Stone said. "If you can save just one person, I think that's worth it."
