How can you get a picture with Santa?
Donate diapers to the Capital City Diaper Bank.
The fifth annual Stuff Santa's Sleigh Diaper Drive is 4-6 p.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church, 324 Madison St. in Jefferson City.
Donations of a single package of diapers, a multi-pack of wipes or cash donations of $10 per person or family will entitle donors to a photo and a high-quality digital image with Saint Nick.
Additional donations are always welcome.
Anderson Photography will provide the photographer.
While there, attendees can enjoy milk and cookies.
Diapers are to be distributed through Capital City Diaper Bank's partner agencies in Cole and southern Callaway counties, said Katie Epema, a co-founder of the nonprofit organization.
The agencies include the Jefferson City School District Parents as Teachers program, Pregnancy Help Center, the Cole County Health Department Women Infants and Children program, Common Ground and Little Explorers Discovery Center.
The annual diaper drive has grown year by year. The first drive, in 2015, collected 7,148 diapers. In 2016, it collected 9,950; in 2017, 13,884; and about the same in 2018.
Those first 7,000 diapers were enough to last the Parents as Teachers program an entire year, Epema said.
Demand for the diapers has continued to grow, she added. Now, it wouldn't be enough for a month, she said.
"We've continued to add on to the number of partner agencies we have," she said. "This past month - for the month of December - our partners ordered 12,500 diapers."
As the organization gets the word out about its work, people continue to express surprise at the demand for diapers.
The number of families who need the diapers seems to be increasing, Epema said.
She said the organization only recently began partnering with the county's WIC program. Melinda Ridenhour, the county director of nutrition services and its WIC coordinator, and others at the county have been incredibly grateful for the program, Epema added.
The greatest need currently is for sizes 4, 5 and 6.
During the collection, expect to see not only Kris Kringle but also elves and at least 10 more helpers. Some will be sorting through the quantities of diapers and placing them in packages of 25.
"We have volunteers who help put out cookies. We have a few elves who will mingle and help get kiddos to smile for Santa," Epema said. "We would happily accept donations of any size diapers. We would love to collect enough for at least one month's distribution."