Souper Bowl Sunday
Soup is an inexpensive meal that warms people inside and out. Those in need can truly benefit from such a nutritious meal this time of year.

Throughout the month of January, PATH holds its annual Souper Bowl Sunday Canned Soup Drive. Area organizations, businesses and congregations are encouraged to participate by holding special collections among their members. Participants should bring their soup collections to the PATH office the week immediately following Super Bowl Sunday.

Get your group together and hold your own game!

The group that brings in the most cans of soup will be declared the MVP for PATH's Souper Bowl Sunday drive.

PATH accepts food donations Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at its food pantry, 402 W. Front Street in Tyler.

You can also donate canned soup to the CBS 19 Souper Bowl drive. Take your donations to their studio, 2211 ESE Loop 323 (at the Troup Hwy. intersection of the Loop), Tyler, TX 75701.

For more information, contact PATH at 903-597-4044, ext. 120.

Blanket Drive

Rising energy costs coupled with extra usage will result in utility bills that some families simply can’t afford. Because of financial hardships, some people might choose to do without heat this coming winter so they can pay for other essential needs. A terrible thought – but it’s true.

Help us keep everyone warm and safe this winter.

PATH is collecting new and gently-used blankets to distribute to people in need. Drop off gently-used blankets at The Cleaning Company dry cleaners or new blankets at the PATH office, 402 W. Front St., Tyler.

Fan Club

Families in poverty respond to rising summer utility bills by simply turning off the air conditioning. Help relieve the summer heat for the frail and elderly with box fans. Box fans (20"-30") are needed. Donations can be dropped at the PATH office at 402 West Front Street.

Please donate your new box fans during the months of May through August. For more information, contact Becky Duncan, 597-4044, ext. 120.

Join the Fan Club!
Purchase a new box fan at Home Depot for a special discounted price of $10 when you donate it to PATH. See store for details.

Coats for Kids

People Attempting to Help and St. Paul Children's Foundation will begin the annual Coats for Kids October 1st and continue collecting coats through the end of the month.

New and gently-used coats for children as young as infants and as old as 18 can be taken to any of these sites:

• Starbucks on Loop 323
• Talbots
• Lucky’s Cleaners
• The Cleaning Company
• VIP Cleaners
• Hart’s Cleaners
• Eagle Cleaners
• Fite’s Dry Cleaners
• Shannon’s Cleaners
• Gentry Dry Cleaners
• Dry Clean Super Center
• KLTV
• St. Paul Children’s Foundation
• PATH

PATH is partnering with St. Paul Children's Foundation once again to distribute the coats. Coat distribution will be held at St. Paul Children's Foundation on the first two Saturdays of November, 8 am-2 pm. Parents of children in need of a coat should bring identification for themselves and for their children.

For more information, contact Becky Duncan at 903.597.4044, ext. 120, or email becky@tylerpath.org.

To register your school for the KLTV Classroom Challenge visit www.KLTV.com or contact their studio at 903.597-5588.

See Coats for Kids in our Photo Gallery

School Supply Train

Remember: $30 supplies one child with a start in school! YES! I would like to make a financial donation for school supplies!

2007 SST Partners are: City of Tyler Fire Department Target Distribution Rose City Kiwanis Club Fire Department locations: 218 E. Elm 5505 Old Bullard Rd. 309 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 2815 Frankston Hwy. 2804 Van Hwy. 1116 Troup Hwy. 3131 Shiloh Rd.  9111 Paluxy 1718 W. Houston

Many kids living in poverty start school each fall without the supplies they need to begin a successful year of learning. In Smith County, more than 18,000 children live in households whose income is so low they are eligible for free lunch programs.

PATH teams up with each school in Smith County to provide school supplies to kids who need them.

School supplies we're collecting are:

24-pack Crayola crayons

#2 pencils

wide- and college-ruled spiral
notebooks

wide- and college-ruled notebook paper

Elmer’s glue sticks
blue or black pens

five-tab dividers

colored pocket folders with brads
wooden rulers

two-inch, three-ring binders

These items can be dropped off at PATH, 402 West Front Street,Tyler, or any Tyler-area fire department location (list at right).

For more information, contact Becky Duncan, 597-4044 ext. 120.

Diaper Drive

Low-income moms are not allowed to buy diapers with food stamps. A growing number of infants are requiring expensive "special diet" formulas for newborns. PATH is helping families stretch their limited resources by providing emergency diapers and formula when possible.

• Diapers
• Baby food
• Baby wipes
• Formula

Where to donate:
Bring nonperishable items to PATH, 402 West Front St., Tyler, or give us a call and we will do our best to arrange for the items to be picked-up. For more information, contact Becky Duncan, 597-4044 ext. 120.

Christmas in the Neighborhood

Many families work all year long to get out of poverty and have stretched their limited resources as far as they can just to keep food on the table and bills paid. PATH's Christmas ministry helps with toys and food for the holidays. Sponsors are needed to gather resources for families. Sponsors must follow guidelines on how to help. Call the PATH office for more information.

PATH also partners with Rose City Kiwanis Club and Brookshire Grocery Company to provide food boxes to the needy families. Volunteers are needed to build the boxes and deliver them. It's a great holiday family project.

Christmas Count Down - When volunteers and resources are needed:

• September: PATH networks with professional caseworkers from other agencies to identify the families we believe will most need help at Christmas. Recruiting also begins for possible sponsors during this month.
• October: We identify the families needing Kiwanis food boxes and continue to identify sponsors and families for the toys and food effort.
• November: We finalize the families for food boxes. We also assign families needing toys and food to specific sponsors to allow time to gather resources.
• December: With the Kiwanis Club, we build the food boxes and deliver them.

For more information, call 903-597-4044, ext. 120.