Volunteers, donations needed for Thanksgiving dinner

Joyce Gauthier has a long shopping list for the annual Thanksgiving meal she cooks, which includes 60 turkeys and 30 hams, stuffing, vegetables and an assortment of desserts.

But it's not just her family she's feeding -- it's an entire community.

Gauthier and her husband organize the annual meal that is served each Thanksgiving at the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau.

Donations and volunteers are still needed for the holiday meal Nov. 28.

The Gauthiers expect a large gathering, but perhaps not as many as in years past. "It's hard to say," said Maj. Robert Gauthier. "We were slightly down last year, but the year before had been really big. We anticipate seeing the same or more this year."

Just like the Salvation Army, area food pantries and social service agencies are getting ready for a busy holiday season. And often they're getting by on less.

The holiday season is the time when FISH, a nonprofit group that assists area residents with food, gets its best supplies. "This is the time of year that we traditionally rely on to stock up on our supply that takes us through the winter and late spring," said Gil Degenhardt, a FISH board member.

The food pantry could use donations of canned soup, canned meats, pasta and noodles, mixed vegetables, crackers and peanut butter.

Students at Notre Dame Regional High School held a competition among their classes and helped FISH at the same time. The student council sponsored a canned food Friday at the school; students brought the cans to their home room classes and the class with the most cans won the competition.

Another food drive to benefit FISH is planned Nov. 23 with local Boy Scout troops.

Red Star Baptist Church also is in need of food donations for its food pantry.

The Salvation Army also distributes food to needy families -- particularly during the Christmas season. Donations are needed to supply area families with a holiday meal.

Applications for Toybox

Applications for the food baskets and Toybox program are being accepted beginning today at the Salvation Army office, 701 Good Hope St. Applications will be accepted weekdays through Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4 p.m.

Toybox is a joint program of the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and Southeast Missourian that helps provide needy children with toys at Christmas. The program serves children up to age 12 in Cape Girardeau.

Families fill out applications listing special requests and information about their children so that Christmas wishes can be filled. Profiles about the children and their needs will be published in the Southeast Missourian later this month.

Another program that helps the community's senior citizens, Christmas for the Elderly, also begins soon. That program is coordinated by the Southeast Missourian, Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center and Missouri Division of Senior Services.

"We haven't noticed an increase," said Tammy Goldrick, a senior social worker at the division's local office that serves Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties. "It's just that our people cannot afford a lot because of their limited incomes."

Donations like paper goods, toiletries and pet foods are a big help for the clients, Goldrick said.

Collections for both Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly will begin at Thanksgiving. Dropoff locations other than Southeast Missourian offices in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will be announced later.

Monetary donations received also help the Christmas for the Elderly program all year. The program distributes small grants throughout the year so that each agency can provide what its clients need, like paper goods, stamps or other household supplies.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126