Food, toys, clothes given away at Jackson holiday event

Putting together a holiday food drive at the Jackson Elks Lodge that also offers warm clothing and toys for children in need is a community effort, organizers said Thursday.

Jackson schools helped with a canned food drive, and businesses such as Save-A-Lot and Target offered discounts on the items that were purchased. Volunteers from the Jackson Elks Lodge, the Family, Community and Education program at the University of Missouri Extension Service and the Jackson Police Department helped collect the goods and distribute them to families in need.

Everything was in place by 10 a.m. Thursday. There were 285 food baskets, each with a ham, canned vegetables, soup, noodles, cereal and soda. There were also hundreds of gloves, warm hats and other winter essentials and enough toys so that even after it was over, what remained filled a box truck for Toys for Tots.

The effort is worth it when those receiving the help show their gratitude, said Betty Dellinger, who helped organize the clothing drive with six Jackson-area civic clubs.

"In past years, I have even seen grown men with tears in their eyes," Dellinger said. "It makes you feel good that you can help somebody else."

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comDeAnna Holmes of the Jackson Police Department bags a stuffed bear Thursday for Timber Kimbel, 9, at the Jackson Elks Lodge. The Jackson Police Department anticipates helping 1,000 children with the $8,000 worth of toys that it purchased this year.

Drive co-chairmen Joe Brice and Michael Browne said this year the lodge prepared 35 more food baskets than last year to make sure everyone in need was served as the economy sours. The drive was open to families who live within the Jackson School District boundary.

A line had already formed outside by the time the doors opened. Temperatures were in the low 30s, and a stiff north wind was blowing.

"It was cold, and they were lined up," Browne said. "That is when you know they are in need."

Some people were obviously hurting financially, he added. "We had a lady who came in here and who didn't even have a coat," Browne said.

Brice said another recipient of aid made him turn his head away so she couldn't see him tear up. Her car is not in good shape, and she said she couldn't afford Christmas," he said.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comLeRoy Pourney pushes a cart with toys, a food basket and clothes to a car Thursday evening at the Jackson Elks Lodge. For more than 20 years the lodge has given away food baskets, with 250 baskets this year.

Before the doors opened, the Safe House for Women was allowed to bring people in. They were sent home with enough toys to make sure every child there had a merry Christmas, said Darrell Sievers, a Jackson police officer who for 10 years has made the toy drive his mission.

Sievers, who relies on cash donations from the public to buy the toys, said he was sweating over whether he would reach his goal until a television report opened up wallets. Within 24 hours his donations had doubled and within 72 hours they had tripled. He was able to spend $8,000 at Target, which helped out with discounts and a tax exemption.

Sievers estimated he was able to provide toys to 450 children, not including the remaining toys that will be distributed.

Sievers said he is touched deeply by the strength of the people enduring adversity.

"When you get a young lady who comes up who has brain tumors and had numerous surgeries, and she looks at you and humbly asks for one gift and you give her a dozen, then the big bad police officer gets a big bad tear in his eye," Sievers said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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