Students are back in school, yet some families need assistance to purchase required supplies. Many organizations in the area provide backpacks filled with paper, pencils, pens, and other required items; however, there are many things that are not donated. To help purchase the more unusual necessities, Chillicothe Circle of Service School Supplies committee members delivered more than $1,400 in gift cards to the seven schools in the IVC School District area—Calvary Baptist, CEC, IVC, IVC Learning Center, Mossville, South, and St. Edward. Each school’s amount was prorated based on total number of students. With $500 from Circle’s budget, a contribution from Walmart and generous donations from our members, these gift cards will be used to purchase other needed items, saving some out-of-pocket expenses for teachers and administrators.

Linda Herron, a Chillicothe Circle of Service member and a member of the Chillicothe and Peoria Historical Societies was the guest speaker at our August meeting. She gave an informative show-and-tell presentation, displaying vintage clothing from the early 1900s to the 1980s. Linda’s interest in dated clothing began many years ago when she and her late husband Dave would go to estate sales, looking primarily for antiques. As a seamstress, however, Linda became more interested in apparel, which led her to collect dresses, undergarments, gloves, shoes, and other items. She says her basement is full of things she has been given or purchased. Some of her classic hats were on display at the meeting, and each member was encouraged to wear one. Linda often loans her items for plays, musicals, vintage fashion exhibits, and style shows, and to people wanting something to wear for a special event. She also sells some items on eBay. We thank Linda for a very entertaining evening.