With the holiday season in full stride, Southeast Missourians -- from students to businesspeople to local agencies -- are stepping up charitable activities.

Central High School business teacher Teresa Taylor said the campus' Future Business Leaders of America chapter is sponsoring a new Toys for Sweats initiative.

Students and staff who bring in a toy valued at $3 or more will be able to wear sweats Friday. Toys will be collected Wednesday and Thursday.

Toys will go to the Jaycee's Toybox, and the goal is to collect 300 toys or more.

Southeast Missouri State University

The university is about to embark on several holiday drives in addition to the ones it completed in November. These are some of them:

• Used formal dresses and accessories will be collected from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in the University Center, Room 414. Proceeds will benefit Safe House for Women and Birthright. The service sorority, Gamma Sigma Sigma, will assist with the sale Jan. 31.
• Donations and holiday cards are being collected for the Cape Girardeau Senior Center from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 6 in the University Center Ballroom.
• A school supply drive is scheduled for noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 6 in the ballroom. Donations will help children in low-income families helped by the Cape Girardeau Boys and Girls Club.

Jackson schools

Jackson R-2 social worker Donna Bullard said a canned-food drive is going on in almost every building in the district. Most of the food items will be donated to the Jackson Ministerial Alliance, which supplies food for the Elks Lodge baskets. Bullard said it tries to serve 100 to 125 families.

Families also are adopted at Christmas, and the schools work with the Jackson Police Department on Toys for Tots.

Scott City

Scott City High School counselor LaDonna Pratt said the middle school hosted a canned-food drive that concluded the week of Nov. 24. Those donations will be given to the Scott City Food Pantry.

Scott City's FCCLA also raises money throughout the year to help provide for the needs of families in the community. They work with the Scott City Women's Club, businesses and other organizations, Pratt wrote. The group served at least 60 children last year.

"We take the dollars as far as they will go, but the need keeps increasing every year," Pratt said. "We also work hard to ensure we are not double serving families, so it is definitely a team effort."

Perryville

The Skills USA Electronics Chapter at Perryville Area Career and Technology Center will conduct its 14th annual canned food drive through Dec 16.

"Items collected are donated on a rotating basis to the communities that send students to the Perryville Area Career and Technology Center -- Perryville, Ste. Genevieve and the Oak Ridge/Meadow Heights area," instructor Chris Gemoules said in a news release. "This year, items will be donated to the Meadow Heights area."

The students request nonperishable food items, which can be dropped off at Perryville Area Career and Technology Center's front office from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Other organizations

Tammy Nenninger, branch office administrator for Stan Irwin's Edward Jones office, is organizing a food drive for the second straight year.

Nenninger said she would like to have everything in hand by Dec. 17.

Last year, 470 pounds of nonperishable food items were collected for the Southeast Missouri Food Bank.

"We sent out letters to all of our clients, and the clients dropped by items here in the office," Nenninger said. "It was very effective. This was the first one we'd ever done, and I was amazed."

Anyone who would like to promote charity events in the Southeast Missourian may do so by submitting them to semoevents.com.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

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Ways to help

Holiday volunteer opportunities

The following are food drive and volunteer opportunities provided by the United Way of Southeast Missouri.

• Salvation Army (tsacapegirardeau.org)

Thanksgiving food drive, Dec. 7

• Wehrenberg Cape West 14 Cine

Canned food drive

• Salvation Army (tsacapegirardeau.org). This link has several other volunteer needs listed.

Toybox Distribution: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 18

• Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Marble Hill senior centers

Need help in the facilities and delivering meals

• Marines *-- Toys for Tots (Ralph Craig, 450-1958)

Needs help with sorting and bagging toys

• St Mary*'s Food Pantry (335-9347)

Needs help sorting, bagging and handing out food

• Amen Center (794-2900)
• Hospital Volunteer Departments
• Retired Senior Volunteer Program/Volunteer Intergenerational Center
• SEMO Food Bank (855-703-3663)

Needs help packing senior boxes, groups of 10 or more people

• Scott City Nutrition Center (264-3402)

Needs help delivering meals

• Jer*'s Angels (Debbie Lincoln, 208-8880)

Adopt a family

• Educare PEP (Positive Educational Parenting) Club (Debbie Lincoln, 208-8880)

Needs help with children*'s crafts, holiday event for PEP families Dec. 18