The holidays came early for one Mower County organization.

Students from Adam’s Southland Middle School visited the Red Cross Wednesday — bearing gifts.

They donated 634 items to the Personal Care Shelf. Southland had collected the items in a five-day drive, organized by the middle school student council.

“I’m just blown away. I feel like it’s Christmas. I mean this is just great,” local Red Cross executive director Elaine Hansen told the students.

Nine students, the three top givers from each grade, packed what would fit of the items into the personal care cabinet, which was almost bare before they arrived.

“I just had a mom come in who has a 14-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 7-month-old. And, she just lost her job… She doesn’t know what she’s going to do,” Hansen told students as they unloaded the items.

“You guys are heroes, everyday heroes, making a difference in someone’s lives,” she continued.

The personal hygiene items that the Red Cross provides through the Personal Care Shelf are not available through other agencies. Red Cross service partners refer clients for this assistance, and families are only eligible to use the care shelf twice a year.

Hansen explained that providing necessary items like shampoo, soap, diaper pins, toothbrushes, hairbrushes and Band-Aids, helps people in need get over a hump.

Language Arts teacher and co-advisor of the student council Lynn Wempner said she was proud of her students.

The student council organized the drive as a competition between homerooms.

“I like doing all kinds of projects. This one was really fun, especially the competition of it,” said seventh-grade student council member Anna Bruggeman.

Wempner said the student council organizes five service projects each year, and this was the first time the care shelf was one of them.

Even though Southland filled the shelves, and even left a back-supply, Wednesday, the items will go quick, Hansen said.

Need is up dramatically.

Hansen said the shelf served 63 people this September, as opposed to 35 in September of 2008; 90 in August, as opposed to 46 in August of 2008.

The Red Cross Personal Care Shelf accepts the in-kind monetary donations and the following items on a continuous basis: shampoo, bar soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, brushes, combs, laundry soap, dish soap, toilet tissue, facial tissue, feminine items, shaving cream, shavers, cloth diapers, diaper pins, plastic pants, baby pain reliever, baby ointment, Band-Aids and baby shampoo.

Items can be dropped off at the Red Cross chapter office on 305 Fourth Ave. NW.