When is the distribution?
The distribution is scheduled for December 17, 2011. The doors will open at 7:30 am.

Where is the distribution?
Distribution will take place at the Main Exhibit Building of the NEA District Fairgrounds, 2731 E. Highland Drive in Jonesboro.

I didn’t receive my letter. What do I do?
If you applied for the program but didn’t receive your letter in the mail, come on up to the Fairgrounds between 8:00 am and Noon. If we received your application but your letter was lost in the mail, you’ll still get food and toys. If we never received your application, the worst that could happen is that you’ll have to wait until the time reserved for walk-ins.

I missed the application deadline. Can I still get food and toys?
Walk-ins are accepted, but must wait until at least 11:30 am to give ample opportunity for those who signed up in advance to be served. The amount of food and toys purchased is dictated by the number of applicants who submitted their application before the deadline.

Can I send someone else to pick up for me?
Yes, but they must have your acceptance letter and a note from you authorizing the pickup.

My (family member/neighbor) was approved but can’t make it. Can I pick up for him/her?
Yes, but only if you have a copy of their letter and a note authorizing you to pick up on their behalf.

Do you deliver?
No.

I can’t make it on Saturday. Can I pick up on Monday?
Unfortunately, no. The distribution is limited to Saturday only. We must vacate the building at the end of the day and have nowhere to store the leftovers. This applies to toys as well.

My letter says 8/10:00 am but… What should I do?
The times are a guideline that are, in theory, supposed to cut down on the time you have to stand around waiting. If your letter says 8:00 but you can’t be there until after 9:00, come after 9:00. If you can’t come at 10:00, come at 8:00. Life doesn’t always fit into our neat little guidelines.

What time do you close?
We like to begin closing the doors at around Noon so that we can begin cleanup. If people keep coming, we’ll stay open—to an extent.

We’ll be collecting new, un-wrapped toys for our 2011 Christmas for Kids project. There are nearly 1,700 children in the program this year and we need your help. If you can’t bring a toy, a monetary donation is more than welcome. You can bring it to the toy drive or mail it to us:

Jonesboro Jaycees
361 Southwest Dr. STE A-142
Jonesboro, AR 72401

Please, please, please help us make Christmas a little brighter for Northeast Arkansas’ underprivileged kids. Every dollar makes a difference.

Facebook Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/212316688844071/

You can download the lineup by visiting Google Docs, clicking File, Download As and then the file type of your choice.

For reference, a map is available:

View 2011 Christmas Parade in a larger map

To make a donation, mail your check to:

The US Jaycees Foundation
Attention: Disaster Relief Program – Tornadoes
7447 S. Lewis Avenue
Tulsa OK, 74136

In Jaycee Spirit,

Jeff Taylor
Chairman of the Board
Jonesboro Jaycees

As you are aware, this week the southeastern United States sustained a devastating series of severe storms. The tornadoes that impacted Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Florida have hit home hard. This is the time when Jaycees act and work together to ensure that our friends across the many Jaycee states are safe and know that their fellow Jaycees we are willing to get out and help.

The US Jaycees Foundation is setting up a disaster relief account pursuant to the devastation that has battered the Southeastern US. You are requested to send a tax free donation to:

The US Jaycees Foundation
Attention: Disaster Relief Program – Tornadoes
7447 S. Lewis Avenue
Tulsa OK, 74136

As a reminder, 100% of the funds received go directly to the grants which are provided to the Jaycee states or chapters in order to assist their communities in need. No administrative fees are assessed to the Disaster Relief Funds, so you can rest assured that very dollar donated will go to grants and will assist in the disaster relief. We are starting to work with the chapters in Alabama and shortly will begin working with those from the other states too. If you would like to get your hands dirty let us know and we’ll point you in the direction of chapters who could use your assistance. Jaycees it is time we do what we do best – help those who need a hand to get back on their feet or maybe just a hand to dig out of a difficult situation. You have seen the pictures on the news – the time to act is NOW!!!

In the name of Jaycees everywhere – God Bless you all.

WE BELIEVE – That Service to Humanity is the BEST WORK of LIFE!

Raj Nadkarni
Chairman 2011
US Jaycees Foundation

Please make checks payable to the U.S. Jaycees Foundation and mail contributions to:
7447 S. Lewis Ave. Tulsa OK, 74136

All lineup information will be sent to you at the email address you provide during the registration process.

The Snack Shack is my favorite Jaycee project. It was my first project to attend as a member and I made so many wonderful friends there while I was working. I hope that you can come and have the same experience that I did. Sure your feet will hurt from standing a lot and people will step on your toes left and right but that’s part of the fun! (No, seriously, working in the Snack Shack is a ton of fun.) Whether I’m working in the kitchen or serving customers, I’ve never had a bad time (except for last year when the fire suppression system misfired but that was a one-off thing).

Our members are our lifeblood and without you we cannot have a successful project. If you can find 2 hours in your day during the next week to come to the fairgrounds and help us out, we’d love to have you. The success of this project hinges upon you and without a successful Snack Shack, Christmas for Kids and Goodfellows won’t be as good as they can possibly be. Some people can only come during the day and some only have an hour to spare at night and some still can only come after we’ve stopped cooking and serving, but they’ll show up to help clean.

While the fair starts on Monday, we’ll be at the Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon cooking Boston butts for the BBQ sandwiches and nachos that we’ll be serving and putting finishing touches on the Snack Shack. We’ll get started on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

I love the Jaycees and what we do and that love came from putting time in at the Snack Shack. I don’t have a doubt that without that project, I wouldn’t be a member much less President today. The Fair motto is that it’s “the place where old friends meet.” In my case, it was the place where you make new ones.

In Jaycee Spirit,

Jeff Taylor
62nd President
Jonesboro Jaycees

• The Miss Jonesboro Pageant
• The Northeast Arkansas District Fair
• Mighty League Baseball
• Craighead Forest Park and the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Jonesboro
• Abilities Unlimited

The Jaycees sponsor the Jonesboro Christmas Parade, manage the Goodfellows Project, and run Christmas for Kids. Goodfellows provides up to a week’s worth of food for local underprivileged families and Christmas for Kids gives toys to local children who might not get any other Christmas. The Jaycees gave Jonesboro its first street signs and provided the seed money for a new, advanced tornado warning system when the city was in dire need of one. The Jaycees also provided natural gas detectors for local schools after a series of explosions across the country set parents and faculty on edge.

The Jonesboro Jaycees have been doing great things for nearly sixty years and hope to continue for another sixty years. Take a look at the Past Presidents page and the Hall of Honor page for a list of the people who helped to make the Jaycees what it is today.

I’ve scanned and uploaded the book so that everyone can give it a read and learn about our past and be inspired for the future.

Happy New Years, everybody!

In Jaycee Spirit,

Jeff Taylor
62nd President

40th Anniversary Book of Letters (PDF, 28MB)

Craighead County Health Unit
611 East Washington Ave
Jonesboro, AR 72401
870-933-4585

Arkansas Workforce Center
2311 East Nettleton Ave
Jonesboro, AR 72401
870-910-8129

Paces, Inc.
2917 King Street
Jonesboro, AR 72401
870-932-1166

Jonesboro Urban Renewal and Housing Authority
330 Union Street
Jonesboro, AR 72401
870-935-9800

East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging
2005 East Highland Drive
Jonesboro, AR 72401
870-972-5980

St. Bernards Senior Life Center
900 West Monroe Ave
Jonesboro AR 72401
870-935-7282

All applications must be received by November 30, 2009 to ensure inclusion into the programs.

Distribution of food and toys will take place on December 19, 2009 at the Northeast Arkansas District Fairgrounds. Families accepted into the program will receive a letter in the mail prior to the distribution telling them when to arrive. They must bring the letter and a photo ID to the Fairgrounds in order to receive their food and toys.

Please send any questions to us via the Contact page.