Donated items sought for area foster children

In an effort to encourage and reflect Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to improving the human condition, a winter items drive is being held that will culminate with an annual community breakfast on Jan. 20 in the Show Me Center.

This drive is being conducted by the M.L.K. Jr. Celebration Planning Committee, in partnership with the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) of Southeast Missouri State University.

The goal of these two groups is to provide a pair of mittens or gloves for every child currently in foster care throughout the Southeast Missouri service region.

"We chose to collect these items as a symbolic representation of Dr. King's famous 'I Have a Dream' speech and, in particular, the passage 'I have a dream that one day...little black boys and girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and girls and walk together as sisters and brothers,'" said Gretchen Weber, assistant director for student involvement at Southeast.

"As a planning committee, we felt it was extremely important to do more than just remember Dr. King on January 20 at the breakfast. So we are trying to follow his example by providing a way for each individual, regardless of race, creed, color, religion or financial means, to make a small difference for our community," Weber said.

Individuals can drop off donations at one of the following locations: the University Center Information Desk, the Student Recreation Center, residence hall lobbies, in Academic Hall by the elevator, outside the Regional Professional Development Center offices in the Scully Building, the Cape Girardeau Civic Center, and at participating area churches.

Organizations may also collect items and then call the University Center at 651-2280 between Jan. 15-17.

A member of NPHC will pick up the items for display at the Jan. 20 breakfast. Individuals or groups also may bring items with them to the breakfast.

Following the breakfast, M.L.K. Jr. Celebration Planning Committee members will work with the Department of Child and Family Services as well as area shelters to make sure the donated items get distributed. Participating organizations will be recognized at the breakfast, and all items will be displayed there..

For more information, contact Weber at 651-2280. For tickets to the breakfast or other information regarding M.L.K. Celebration events, call the Dean of Students office at 651-2263.