Kiwanis collect pajamas, luggage and more for foster youth

It is a traumatic experience when a child is displaced from home, but hundreds of youth in Southeast Missouri go into foster care each year for their own safety. Many times, they only have the clothes they are wearing.

The Poplar Bluff Kiwanis Club since 2008 has conducted the Pajama Rama project to provide them with sleepwear and this year, they’ve also added TOTES 2 TOTS.

When Brock Littles was Kiwanis president, he was aware of a pajama drive held by a civic group in Hillsboro, and at the time the local club was looking for a community project.

“So, on a whim we decided to host a drive and the local response was very good,” Littles said. “Within two weeks we had collected at least 200 pajama sets. In addition to pajamas, I was finding blankets, glove sets, winter hats, house shoes, just all sorts of different items in the boxes.

“It was pretty cool and strange at the same time because we had no idea who the donors were, therefore we could not thank them personally. I remember one lady knitting multiple sets of gloves.”

Littles estimates the club has collected around 2,000 sets of pajamas during this time, but Miranda Fickert believes this number is “a low estimate. We saw a need related to children and that’s what we do.”

Feedback from the recipients indicated there was a community need for the program, so Littles and fellow Kiwanis members continued it annually.

“We have had a lot of support through the years,” Littles said.

This includes Larry and Linda Hurst, Sacred Heart, the Poplar Bluff High School Beta Club, River Radio, Ressie Thomas and club members Bill Dee and Margaret Carter.

Aware of the need for pajamas, Fickert said, “we were recently made aware of another need which is especially prevalent in foster children, which is they often leave their home with only a couple sets of clothes in a trash bag.

“It is traumatic for a child to be displaced from their home, but it is especially degrading to them to have to transport their only belongings in a trash bag. This is why we added the totes, duffles and backpacks to this project. For these children to now have a nice tote of their own makes the experience less demeaning to them, and so many in the community have these items that are gently used, or are willing to pick them up at very reasonable prices.”

Fickert said, “The clothes and totes do go to foster children through Foster Adopt Connect, as well as the children’s division. They’ve also expressed kids are always in need of socks and undies — and as a parent I totally get that – where do their socks go — so this year we decided to add those, as they’re in particular need of them.”

The Kiwanis ask when donating pajamas, undies and socks, please donate new items. The sizes for pajamas are infant to adult, all sizes of undies and all sizes of socks.

The suitcases, duffel bags and backpacks may be new or nearly new.

“If someone is interested in donating, I would ask to consider buying for middle school or junior high-aged children,” Littles said. “Most donors think of the infants and toddlers, so we typically have an abundance for them, but fewer for the older kids.”

Fickert said, “we will gladly take cash donations and purchase the items ourselves in sizes we’re short on.”

The club does the project all year, but there is a big push right before the Christmas holiday. Everyone, who wants to contribute to the project will want to get their donations in the week before Christmas to ensure holiday delivery to the youngsters.

“Kiwanis takes pride in serving the children in our community through a number of projects,” Fickert said. “We’ve served the Poplar Bluff community since 1921, almost 100 years, mainly through our largest project, which is Kiwanis Bacon Park, but we’re always looking for other opportunities to better the lives of children.

“Our members are generous with their time and treasure, and we actively look for ways to fulfill the mission of Kiwanis, which is to serve the children of the world.”

Donations may be taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, front lobby; Whitworth Gift Chest Jewelers; Poplar Bluff Municipal Library; and First Midwest Bank, main bank at 704 S. Westwood Blvd.