Within just a year, Travis Owsley’s nonprofit organization Beverly’s Hearty Slice has transformed from a bi-weekly pizza donation group to a service organization for the community.
Owsley said over the last year, he gauges they’ve served free Little Caesars pizza to more than 1,000 people in Kendall-Perkins Park, continuing the legacy that his late mother left behind.
The future for Beverly’s Hearty Slice doesn’t stop at Kendall-Perkins, as Owsley wants to grow the communities he serves across the city. He hopes to take the service to Dugan Best Recreation Center and across town in the Rolling Heights neighborhood.
“I want to impact, and give back to all the low-poverty communities and try to reach everybody that’s in need,” Owsley said.
For Thanksgiving and Christmas, Owsley said they served about 150 people at both events giving them meals during the holiday season.
In addition, Owsley said that he is starting a mentorship program to also reduce the number of children that are heading to drugs and gang life.
The need to help the communities of Owensboro, especially Kendall-Perkins is personal for Owsley as he grew up “right behind that wall” at the park. Because of his connection to the community, he has found that plenty of the children trust him and find it hard to “pull one past” Owsley because he’s been in their shoes.
Owsley said Beverly’s Hearty Slice has also affected him personally, as it’s gotten much bigger than where his mom had it originally.
“Yes, it started with my mother, but this has become way bigger than my mom and everything else,” he said. “I feel like I’m right now doing God’s work and He’s using me for the meaning that’s needed right now in the community.”
