Jackson Christmas program garners 'amazing response' from donors

Jackson organizations joined forces to help the less fortunate in their area Thursday.

For 25 years, the Jackson Elks have been organizing a Christmas basket giveaway and food drive to benefit families living in the Jackson School District, and the program chairman said community donations have been overwhelming this year.

"Jackson schools gave us over 15,900 canned food items. Wow," Jim Shipman said. "It was a fantastic, amazing response."

Christmas baskets containing flour, sugar, peanut butter, other pantry staples and a ham were handed out at the Jackson Elks Lodge to 280 needy families. Basket recipients also received toys and winter clothing such as hats, mittens and scarves.

The Jackson Police Department, which organizes a toy drive for the program, also said donations from the community were high this year. Police chief James Humphreys said he is proud of his department for stepping up and organizing the toy drive but that he is just as proud of how Jackson residents responded.

Jackson police chief James Humphreys and Sgt. Tisha Hecht select toys for some of the Christmas baskets given out Thursday at the Jackson Elks Lodge. (Fred Lynch)

"It really tells you how great a community this is, that we make sure those less fortunate are taken care of," he said.

Rachel Byrd, communications officer for the department, spearheaded the effort to collect the toys from various schools and organizations in Jackson. She said a little more than $9,000 was raised to purchase toys and another $2,000 to $3,000 worth of toys were donated at various drop boxes throughout town.

"Most of us in the department have kids," she said. "This is our way to give back to the community."

The Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland donated hundreds of gloves and scarves to the campaign. The Oak Ridge Homemakers, a program of the University of Missouri Extension, also donated winter clothing, as well as underwear and socks.

Stacey Hope, a teacher at Immaculate Conception School, organized a toy drive at her school. She said the toy drive taught students about need in their community and how they could work together to help address it.

"I think that many were surprised that people right here in their own town needed help," she said. "Once they realized that the toys were going to help children who lived around here, they were really inspired to want to make a difference, and the response was overwhelming."

Her school raised "hundreds of toys" and about $200 to give to the Jackson police. The department donated leftover toys to the Safe House for Women and Toys for Tots.

While the outpouring of community support was overwhelming, Shipman said, the need was also high this year. Despite preparing more baskets this year than in the past, he said, he had to stop accepting requests and referrals. Because of the high number of canned food items collected by Jackson schools, many people who didn't receive a complete basket were still able to stop by and stock their pantries with nonperishable food items.

LeRoy Pourney, an Elks trustee, said the program started in 1985 as a way to help the community. That year only a "few" baskets were prepared. In the past 10 years the program has grown to include the police department and other organizations, he said.

Shipman and Pourney said organizing such a large-scale project is hard work and takes an army of volunteers but that the rewards are many. They said often families come in that have lost everything due to a natural disaster or the loss of an income and that it feels great to be able to provide them with a bright spot during the holiday season.

"There are so many stories that make it worth it," Shipman said.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

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