YELL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SEPT. 12

Volunteer newspaper sellers are needed to hawk a special edition of the Southeast Missourian on street corners in Jackson, Cape Girardeau and Scott City to raise money for Newspapers In Education and literacy grants.

The fifth annual YELL campaign will be held Sept. 12. YELL stands for youth, education, literacy and learning.

Organizations, businesses and individuals may become involved. To reserve a street corner in Jackson, contact Val Tuschoff at 243-1506.

All Jackson volunteers will meet Aug. 29 at 7:30 a.m. at Val's Upholstery where final plans will be made.

Last year YELL volunteers sold 10,000 copies of the special newspaper and raised $17,700.

In addition, last year's YELL campaign was voted the top community service project by the National Newspaper Association.

Half the money raised through the YELL event goes to Newspaper In Education, a program by the Southeast Missourian to provide newspapers for teachers to use in the area classrooms including Jackson public and parochial schools. Children from kindergarten through high school use newspapers for spelling lessons, math exercises, reading, current events and a multitude of other projects during the school year. Teachers and schools don't pay for the newspapers.

In addition, money raised through YELL funds literacy grants that are administered through the Area Wide United Way. Agencies and organizations apply for grants to fund new and existing literacy projects. All monies raised in Jackson stay in Jackson. Local grants last year included the Jackson library and school literacy programs. The goal is to improve reading skills in the community.