Student Santas looking forward to 16th year of helping during holidays

Student Santas, a local not-for-profit organization, has reached its 16th year of operation as it plans to add more children to the list of 32,000 it has have helped to date.

It all started when Jennifer Gast was watching her young sons open their gifts on Christmas morning.

"At a time when a mom should be really excited about watching the kids open their Christmas presents, I just became so devastated at the thought of, you know, kids going into their own living rooms and finding nothing under a tree," Gast said.

It wasn't until one of her Southeast Missouri State University students helped her spark the idea to help those who are in need on Christmas. That student asked her how he could earn bonus points, to which she said students could earn 5 points per toy and donate up to four toys.

"And what I ended up finding was that students were bringing in toys in garbage bags. I mean, I had one kid bring in almost 70 toys. And it was just -- I couldn't believe it," Gast said.

Students brought in many toys and even delivered them all across Southeast Missouri. Over the years, it has grown to give more than toys. Now, Gast said the organization provides whatever a family might need, such as clothing, food, supplies, etc.

Single mom Danielle Williams has received toys and necessities for her children from Student Santas for the past few years, which she said she is very grateful for.

"I'm just not the type that tries to ask for any kind of help and everything like that. I just try my best to make my boys happy because I'm the one that they kind of count on, but for someone to be out there and want to help us. I mean, it was just amazing," Williams said.

Since the organization has been around for over a decade, Gast said she has donors make it part of their Christmas tradition. Some of the students who were part of it from the start still do it every year, and those who were helped during a difficult time one year, volunteer to do it another year once they got back on their feet.

Gast's family has "adopted" a family in need every year to provide what they might need. Her daughter, Laurel Gast, 10, said her favorite part of the experience is seeing people's smiles when they deliver the donations.

When asked about a particularly special experience while taking part in the organization, Laurel said, "We went to the parking lot, and there was this lady that didn't have a home. And it was really sad. And she didn't have any presents for her 18-year-old son. And they didn't have much food. So we brought her food, and we bought her some gifts for her 18-year-old son."

In recent years, Student Santas has also been able to provide a Christmas Day meal. After receiving a letter from a young boy who just asked for a nice meal on Christmas, Gast was inspired to provide a Christmas feast for hundreds of those in need. Century Casino Cape Girardeau has donated and provided the food for the occasion every year.

Looking into the future, Gast hopes to extend the act of giving during other holidays such as Easter and Thanksgiving, and keep expanding the organization's capabilities.

"We feel good to give to people and it feels amazing to be able to help others, and so once you get a little taste of it, you want to do that again. And so I continue to do this every year and I will continue to do this over the years," Gast said.

Families can send a letter with the child's age, gender and items they want and need, as well as a bit about the circumstances surrounding the family. A working phone number and address is also required. Letters can be mailed to Student Santas at P.O. BOX 641, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702.