The Christmas spirit has hit early for some this year.
Though it's only October, the Missouri River Quilt Guild - together with the Missouri Department of Corrections Restorative Justice program - donated nearly 200 handmade Christmas stockings this month to three area food pantries. The "Fill Their Stockings" Christmas project donated the stockings in hopes the pantries could auction, raffle or sell them to bring in needed funds for food.
The three charities benefiting from the gift are SERVE Inc., in Fulton, the Samaritan Center in Jefferson City and the Central and Northeast Missouri Food Bank in Columbia.