SOCKS, UNDIES & JAMMIES FOR KIDS-ULTIMATELY MET THEIR GOAL

After getting off to a slow start, Socks, Undies & Jammies for Kids – the recent Holiday effort for the children and families in crisis served by Columbia ’s Rainbow House – met and exceeded its previous 2004-campaign total of 20,000 items. During this year’s 5 ½ week push – spearheaded by area staffing service, Caroline & Company – 20,151 new socks, undies, jammies and more were collected. The current donation total breaks out into: 5,109 socks, 11,647 undies (underwear, diapers, pull-ups, t-shirts and bras), 1,004 jammies (pajamas, robes and slippers) and 2,387 other (hats, gloves, blankets, shirts, coats, sweaters, toys, school and craft supplies, toiletries, etc.).

Four weeks into the mammoth effort, less than 1,200 needed items had been donated. Unseasonably warm weather and a community that had already given heavily to numerous Katrina efforts were reasons sited by Caroline owner and executive, Caroline J. Maher, for the slower than usual start. Maher indicated, “If it hadn’t been for the tremendous outcry of support from area media, schools, daycares, businesses, organizations and lots, and lots of caring mid-Missourians that last week-and-a-half, I don’t know what we would have done. I wish I could personally thank everyone that helped Santa on behalf of the Rainbow House children this year.”

Rainbow executive director, Jan Stock, further summed up the emotions of a record-breaking Holiday appeal when she said, “These wonderful donations give our kids something they can call their own. It allows them to feel good about themselves – maybe for the first time. Those of us at Rainbow House and Caroline & Company are so proud to come from a community that is so generous and caring.”

It is projected the record-breaking effort will meet, or nearly meet, the needs of 500 or more children served by Rainbow House’s Shelter, Family Crises Care and Child Advocacy Center during the coming year. The dollar savings to Rainbow’s budget has been estimated at over eighteen-thousand dollars.

Individuals who wish to learn other ways they can contribute to Rainbow and its programs are invited to visit: www.rainbowhousecolumbia.org/help.