Your Town

+ Supplied for school

A sea of children swarmed backpacks, notebooks, pens and other school supplies.

Manatee Technical College's Farmworker Career Development Program and the Adelante Team of Tropicana gave school supplies to migrant children Nov. 14.

The supplies were distributed at Falkner Farms in Myakka.

The program provides educational and supportive services to "chronically unemployed and underemployed" farmworkers who earn career-focused educations to prepare for careers.

+ Gators chomp wildcats

The B.D. Gullett Elementary Gators are reigning champions over the Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary Wildcats.

As part of the annual Salvation Army food drive, schools countywide collect non-perishable items to donate. Gullett and McNeal like to raise the stakes, and this year competed to see which school could collect more cans.

Gullett collected 2,459 donations and McNeal collected 1,048.

This is the second year Gullett has collected more cans than its neighboring school.

"We're very proud of our students," said Monica Rice, guidance counselor at Gullett. "We almost tripled our number from last year. The important thing is that many families living in our community will benefit from our contest."

+ Stocking stuffers

Are you in the giving mood this holiday season, with Christmas just weeks away?

Meals on Wheels PLUS is collecting shoeboxes filled with gifts for in-need seniors at the Adult Day Center.

Please stuff your shoeboxes with the following items: toiletries; books; toothbrushes; puzzles; lotions; socks; crossword books; Kleenex; personal hygiene items; toothpaste; stationary; pens and umbrellas.

Cut out the tag provided on Meals on Wheels PLUS' Facebook page, which signifies whether the box is for a man or woman, and circle the gender. Use a rubber band to secure the tag to the box and deliver it to the Adult Day Center, located at 10920 E. State Road 70, Lakewood Ranch.

Boxes are due by Dec. 6, when volunteers will wrap and stuff any unfinished shoeboxes at the 10th annual Shoebox Reception, which runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Adult Day Center.

For more information, call 747-4655.