Toybox: Delivering joy, one child at a time
A native of Cape Girardeau, I am a wife, a mother to two wonderful boys (and second mom to a beautiful daughter-in-law), and soon to be grandma. After 22 years as an educator in the Cape Girardeau Public School System, I am currently employed at the Regional Professional Development Center at Southeast Missouri State University as an Instructional Consultant. Throughout my years of involvement in the Cape Jaycee Christmas Projects, fourteen years as chairperson of the Toybox Program and currently in my seventh year as chair for Christmas for the Elderly, I have seen the need for assistance for families in our community rise. In response, I have seen a community that steps up to meet those needs with support and generosity. What a blessing... I look forward to the Jaycee Christmas Projects every year and have made it a tradition in my family as a means to give back during the holidays!
-
It’s Crunch Time!
Posted Friday, December 10, 2021, at 12:26 AMThe Christmas Season seems to be on fast-forward this year! We are two short weeks away from our holiday celebrations with family and friends. And the Cape Jaycees… they are in crunch time with one week left until the deadline for donations for Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly. With delivery right around the corner, they are spending hours making a list and checking it twice to make sure that all children and seniors in need receive gifts this Christmas... -
2021 Toybox / Christmas for the Elderly Drop Locations
Posted Saturday, November 27, 2021, at 10:45 AMHere is a complete list of locations to drop off your Toybox Donations: Butler Supply Company TPC Creative Ewe Pottery Anytime Fitness SEMO Facilities Management Wells Fargo... -
In the Spirit of Giving: 2021 Cape Jaycee Christmas Projects
Posted Saturday, November 27, 2021, at 10:34 AMAs I was packing away my turkeys and roasting pans after our Thanksgiving Celebration, I was reflecting on the upcoming Christmas season. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas often feels like a rush to the finish line. Shopping, decorating, baking, and wrapping – it can become overwhelming and threaten the spirit of the holiday, the spirit of giving and celebrating our many blessings. ... -
Hustle and Bustle of the Season
Posted Tuesday, December 8, 2020, at 1:05 PMIt's that time of the year. Homes are adorned with Christmas lights, delightful smells seep from kitchens, and wrapped gifts fill the space below the tree. It is Christmas. The community of Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area for years have supported another tradition, the Cape Jaycee Christmas Programs, Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly, and the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program. ... -
A COVID Christmas
Posted Thursday, November 19, 2020, at 10:00 PMThis holiday season will be unlike any we have seen before. Holiday traditions may be canceled or modified, family celebrations may be hosted through a computer screen, and some may spend the holiday isolated from those they love with an empty seat at the table. ... -
Holiday Bustle
Posted Friday, December 13, 2019, at 2:31 PMWith Christmas less than two weeks away, the holiday hustle and bustle has hit many of us! Frantically shopping for the "last minute" gift, wrapping, baking and getting that last card in the mail consumes us this time of the year. The magic of the holiday is felt by all and the spirit of giving is in the air with the ring of a bell by a red kettle or a box set up in local businesses. ... -
Christmas for the Elderly
Posted Sunday, December 8, 2019, at 5:44 AMThe day to day mundane often finds many of us mindlessly going through the motions of crawling out of a warm bed, brushing our teeth, eating a good breakfast, enjoying that first cup of coffee, and moving forward to shower and dress for another day of work. ... -
Christmas for the Elderly 2019
Posted Monday, November 25, 2019, at 1:47 PMSome of my greatest Christmas childhood memories include my grandparents: Grandpa's telling of the true Christmas Story before we open gifts on Christmas Eve, Grandma's oranges on Christmas morning, which she meticulously peeled for us every year, and baking and decorating cookies for countless hours. I treasure the time spent with them and love that many of these traditions have carried over into my adulthood and include my own children today... -
Facing the Holidays Alone; CFE 2018
Posted Thursday, December 6, 2018, at 9:05 PMHoliday parties, cookie exchanges, and shopping excursions with family and friends keeps many individuals busy during the Christmas season. It is often difficult to find the time to do everything that you need or want this time of the year with calendars overflowing with events and invites. However, this is not true for everyone. For many senior citizens in our area, Christmas is a lonely time of the year... -
A Kind and Gentle Soul; CFE 2018
Posted Saturday, December 1, 2018, at 6:16 AMMr. K lives alone with only his dog, “Alf” , as a companion. With a limited income and no family for financial support, “extras” are a luxury that he cannot afford, and many months, making ends meet is a struggle. He is a proud man and asking for assistance isn’t something he takes lightly. He stated, “I know there are others in worse shape then me, anything is appreciated.”... -
Holiday Jaycee Projects 2018
Posted Friday, November 30, 2018, at 7:20 PMDecember is here and with the hustle and bustle of the season, volunteers with the Cape Jaycees are busying preparing for the 2018 Christmas projects, Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly. Once again, we are seeking the support of the Cape Girardeau and surrounding area to bring joy to our youngest and oldest members of the community... -
The Children First
Posted Tuesday, December 6, 2016, at 8:05 PMAsking for help is not always easy. For many families in the Cape Girardeau Community this stands true but as Annestates, "Sometimes you have to put your pride aside, put your own personal feelings second and think of your children first."... -
From Santa's Workshop to Homes
Posted Thursday, December 1, 2016, at 6:40 PMRecently, I had a community member stop me and ask what happens to their donations for the Jaycee Christmas Projects from the time they drop them off until they reach the hands of families or seniors in the area. What does the journey look like for the gifts that our community shares with others through Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly? Donations are collected by members of the Jaycees and taken to "Santa's Workshop" where they are tagged as gifts and sorted by gender and age. ... -
Preparing For the Season
Posted Sunday, November 27, 2016, at 9:01 AMThanksgiving has come and gone, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday are past and now it is time for the Christmas Season! With the Holidays just around the corner, the Cape Jaycees are gearing up in preparation for the Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly projects... -
Christmas Traditions: Jaycee Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly
Posted Monday, November 14, 2016, at 3:38 PMAnother Christmas season just around the corner. Shopping for loved ones, baking cookies, singing carols, and wrapping gifts are just a few of the many traditions that families have in celebration of the holiday. Throughout the community, traditions are shared among families and friends: the Parade of Lights, Downtown Christmas Open House, home tours and Black Friday Shopping are filling up calendars for the month of December. ... -
That's a Wrap!
Posted Wednesday, December 23, 2015, at 3:50 PMWith unseasonably warm weather in the air, it doesn't feel much like December but for the Cape Jaycees, the Christmas spirit is alive and well! The generosity and kindness of the community, once again, proved to be remarkable and the Christmas for the Elderly and Toybox projects for 2015 were a tremendous success. ... -
The Hustle and Bustle
Posted Friday, December 11, 2015, at 9:02 AMJaycee members have been busy the past couple of weeks. Caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly projects are at the top of their list with delivery dates quickly approaching! There is still so much to do -- Santa's "bags" to be filled, "sleighs" to be loaded and Christmas joy to be spread throughout our community. ... -
The Spirit of Giving
Posted Wednesday, December 2, 2015, at 9:35 AMThe stores around town are bustling with people getting ready for the Christmas holiday. Storefronts are sprinkled with snow and sparkling lights; strangers share a friendly smile as they push through the aisles filling their carts with gifts for loved ones. ... -
"Making a List...Checking It Twice"
Posted Tuesday, November 17, 2015, at 3:21 PMI think we would all agree that the Holiday season seems to come earlier and earlier every year. For the Cape Jaycees, it never ends. We have been in the planning stages of our Christmas projects, Christmas for the Elderly and Toybox, since the calendar turned to 2016. With all this planning, excitement is building as we near the time when our efforts are shared with others, we are "making a list and checking it twice"!... -
Forty Years Strong
Posted Friday, December 19, 2014, at 10:37 AMForty years...and counting! What an awesome statement the success of the Jaycee Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly projects makes for our community. The generosity of individuals and businesses is nothing short of amazing! In a time when need is great for some and blessings in abundance for others - it is wonderful to see efforts made during the holiday season to find balance for the less fortunate...
View all blog posts (64)