Clothing items collected to help area veterans

Agents and staff members from Farmer’s Insurance carted armfuls of suits, sport coats, dress pants and ties up two flights of stairs Tuesday to the Office of Military and Veterans Services in the University Center at Southeast Missouri State University.

The Cape Girardeau business donated 83 suits or sport coats, 56 pants, 48 shirts, 22 ties and 27 women’s items, including a few suits, to Suits for Soldiers.

It was more than the Office of Military Veterans Services expected.

They built one wooden rack, but dress clothes ended up getting stacked on top of tables.

“I was literally just expecting suits,” OMVS outreach coordinator Amanda Woods said.

“Entering the civilian work force, (veterans) don’t take into account buying clothes. They had a stipend for clothes. ... We’ve had veterans here ask about finding formal business attire.”

Woods and OMVS director Jeremy McBroom said they hope there will be significant interest among the 469 veterans, active-military or reserve-military students at Southeast.

The office will send out an email to about 1,200 students affiliated with the military.

About 660 of the students are dependent spouses or children of veterans or active-military members, McBroom said.

Any veterans are welcome to contact the office and make a request, however, McBroom said.

Farmer’s Insurance district manager Clay Hurst said the clothing donated to OMVS was only what was brought to the district office, and individual agents have as many items at their offices.

“That’s only half of what we got,” Hurst said. “It’s amazing to me how much support there is for the military.”

A woman donated her husband’s clothes because he used to be in the military, but there were also several new suits donated with the tags still attached.

Hurst guessed buying all of the items would have cost upwards of $10,000.

Woods said OMVS will hang onto any unclaimed suits for a while before donating them to not-for-profit charities.

Interested veterans may contact Woods by calling (573) 651-2263 or emailing veterans@semo.edu.

“You contact us; we’ll make sure you get what you need,” Woods said.

Veterans Day

The Venue is one of several local organizations hosting Veterans Day events throughout the weekend for its Veterans Day Extravaganza.

The event is free, and donations are accepted. All proceeds will go to the Missouri Veterans Home, Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion, Illinois, and other area organizations.

Chris Stout, co-founder of the Veterans Community Project, will speak at 6 p.m. today.

Stout served in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan and has helped establish a not-for-profit organization connecting homeless veterans with housing and other services in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Veterans Community Project plans to build a community of small houses where veterans can live while they work toward independence.

After the speech, Bruce Zimmerman and a band will perform.

On Sunday, The Venue is hosting a children’s patriotic march and the Jerry Ford Orchestra.

Other Veterans Day events include:

• The KRCU Veterans breakfast at 8 a.m. at VFW Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau, featuring a speech by NPR news correspondent David Aquila Lawrence.
• A Veterans Day program at Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School at 9 a.m., including a presentation of colors by Boy Scouts, a slideshow of area veterans and a small gift for all veterans in the audience.
• A Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. at Freedom Corner in Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau.
• Free heart and health screenings for veterans from 7 to 10 a.m. at Saint Francis Medical Center.
• A Veterans Day program at Jackson High School at 9 a.m. including the American Legion color guard and school choir.
• The Jackson Veterans Day parade at 4 p.m., which starts in front of First Baptist Church and will include the American Legion color guard, two bands from Jackson and Oak Ridge high schools, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and restored military vehicles.
• A service held after the parade at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson, featuring speaker Bob Stillwell.
• A Scott City veterans program at 9 a.m. in the high-school gymnasium.
• An Oran, Missouri, Veterans Day program at 9 a.m. at the high school. At the school, art teacher Jeff Pind set up a display featuring several military uniforms.
• A Veterans Honor Service starting at 11 a.m. Sunday at First Pentecostal Church, 3054 Lexington Ave., Cape Girardeau. Assistant federal prosecutor Larry H. Ferrell will be the speaker at the service.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

The Venue, 80 S. Plaza Way, Cape Girardeau, MO

VFW Post 3838, 1040 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO

Central Junior High, 205 Caruthers Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

Capaha Park, Broadway and West End Boulevard, Cape Girardeau, MO

Saint Francis Medical Center, 150 S. Mount Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, MO

Jackson High School, 315 Missouri St., Jackson, MO

Jackson First Baptist Church, 212 S. High St., Jackson, MO

McKendree United Methodist Church, 225 S. High St, Jackson, MO