With winter closing in and the holiday season in full swing, organizations across the Golden Triangle are gearing up to help families in need, and many residents are looking for ways to contribute. Through coat collections, toy drives and angel trees, there are plenty of volunteer and donation opportunities for residents to choose from this season.

Starkville

Starkville Strong is collecting holiday-themed food, non-perishables and stocking stuffers for its Holiday Neighbors Helping Neighbors event, which will be held at 1 p.m. Dec. 14 behind Dunkington at 109 S. Lafayette St.

People can sign up on the Starkville Strong website to donate 10 of any item, including hygiene supplies, canned goods, boxed meals, blankets, gift cards and more. The deadline to donate is 6 p.m. Dec. 13, and items can be dropped off behind Dunkington.

The Starkville Police Department is hosting its fifth annual Tree Angel program, which provides gifts to families who can’t afford them. The tree, available in the station’s lobby, has about 80 angels left to be claimed, SPD Corporal Kenya Bibbs told The Dispatch.

“I believe people are … concentrating on their family at home,” she said. “Then, I’m praying and believing that they will come next week and swipe most of my babies off the tree.”

Today is the deadline to adopt a family. New, unwrapped gifts must be dropped off by Dec. 12 at the police station at 101 E. Lampkin St.

First Metropolitan Financial Services and Sudduth Elementary School are also hosting toy drives. New, unwrapped toys can be delivered to First Metropolitan, 122 Hwy 12 W. through Dec. 10. For Sudduth Elementary, toys can be purchased directly through Amazon, Target and Walmart wishlists linked on teacher Laura Kate Tribble’s Facebook page.

Columbus

In Columbus, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Community Benefit Committee to host its annual toy drive. New, unwrapped toys can be donated through Dec. 19 at the sheriff’s office at 527 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S., Transformation by Karletta at 118 Gardner Blvd., the McDonald’s on Highway 45, Heritage Academy, CORE Fitness or Carl Hogan Toyota.

Donations will go to more than 200 foster children in Lowndes County, as well as to children of trustees at Lowndes County Adult Detention Center and other local families in need.

I Am Mentoring is hosting its third annual cuts and coats drive with a goal of collecting 500 new or gently used coats along with new hats, socks and gloves.

Items can be donated through Dec. 12 at the Columbus Outreach Center and 1514 Cafe, both located on Main Street, as well as Currie’s Barbershop at 1301 Gardner Blvd. and United Faith Church at 1701 22nd St. N. The drive will be held at 10 a.m. Dec. 13 at 923 Ridge Road.

The Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System is also collecting coats, jackets, hoodies, sweatpants and new socks and undershirts throughout the winter. Items are available to anyone in need during business hours at the downtown branch at 314 Seventh St. N. or at the Caledonia Public Library at 754 Main St. in Caledonia.

Surrounding counties

More than 75 people in Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay, Noxubee and Webster counties are still in need through the United Way of the Golden Triangle Region’s adopt-a-family program. Although the original deadline to adopt a family passed Nov. 21, Executive Director Renee Sanders said United Way will work with anyone still wishing to adopt a family.

“We will create a deadline based off of when they adopt the families,” Sanders told The Dispatch. “… They can spend as much or as little as they want because every family, every child, is going to appreciate it.”

Families can be adopted and monetary donations can also be made through United Way’s website. A list of needs, wants and wishes is included for each family member, though Sanders said not everything on the list must be purchased.

New, unwrapped gifts should be dropped off within one week of adoption at the United Way office, located at 362 Park Creek Drive in Columbus. Volunteers are also needed starting Dec. 5 to help sort and wrap gifts. Those interested should call the office at (662) 370-1922 before arriving.

Sanders said those who can’t adopt a full family can still help by participating in the organization’s Filling in the Gaps initiative by buying and filling a five-gallon bucket with items such as gloves, hair accessories including combs and brushes, personal hygiene products and school supplies. Gap buckets must be dropped off on or before Dec. 12 and will be given to children on the adopt-a-family list.

Renasant Bank in West Point is hosting its annual adopt-a-family program as well, with about 14 families still unclaimed.
Coordinator Morgan Garcia told The Dispatch she would like to see all families adopted by the end of the week, with wrapped gifts delivered to the families or to the bank by Dec. 22. Families can be adopted by contacting Garcia at (662) 495-5434.

The Clay County chapter of Mississippi State University’s Alumni Association is hosting a holiday food and toy drive through Dec. 12. Nonperishable food and new, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the MSU Extension Office at 420 West Broad St. in West Point.

First United Methodist Church of West Point is also collecting coats throughout the winter, as well as non-perishable foods and hygiene items for its Blessing Box, which remains open for donations and community use at any time.

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