Gloria Easter of Drewryville is attempting to help her son’s efforts in Afghanistan.

Serving his third tour in the Middle East, Andre Thomas Jr. is an Air Force chaplain, providing religious services to the wounded. He recently talked to his mother about the lack of supplies and hopes Western Tidewater can help with donations.

Items needed include small containers of deodorant and toothpaste, disposable razors, toothbrushes, chap stick, men’s and women’s sweatpants and sweatshirts in all sizes, soap, and clothing for children age 4 through 10 who were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries.

Items can be sent to Andre Thomas Jr., Task Force Med-Chapel, APO , AE 09352, or Pleasant Plain Baptist Church, 11069 Old Belfield Road, Drewryville, Va., 23844. Gloria can be reached at 658-9128.

Andre is Gloria’s youngest son and a 1998 graduate of Southampton High School and 2002 graduate of South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. He has served in the military for 11 years.

The 29-year-old is expected to return to Los Angeles, where he is stationed, in March after his six-month deployment.

• Lizzie Scott of Franklin won six blue ribbons for her canned goods at the Franklin-Southampton County Fair.

Lizzie, who has been canning for more than 40 years, won blue ribbons for her chow chow, cucumber pickled spiced red rings and strawberry jam. Her jalapeno pepper jelly won a red ribbon, and she took third place for her watermelon rind pickles and red pepper jelly. Thanks for sharing with us, Lizzie.

• In other news about winners, Carson Saunders of Southampton County placed second in the animal category of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s annual photo contest. Carson competed in the division for 11- to 17-year-olds.

The 12 first-place entries, which best showcased the visual appeal of agriculture, will be displayed at the Bureau’s Annual Convention from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 in Hot Springs.

Participants submitted photos for judging in four categories — Animals, Landscapes/Rural Life, People, and Structures and Equipment. Entries were judged in three age divisions — 6 to 10 years old, 11 to 17, and 18 and older.

Among winners of Farm Bureau’s annual youth poster contest, illustrating agriculture’s importance in food production, was Taylor Rountree of Isle of Wight County in the division for first- and second-graders.

Winning entries also will be displayed at the convention.

• The lunch bunch at East Pavilion nursing home recently took a trip to David’s Market in Hunterdale.

Residents and employees who went were Juanita Bynum, Evie Fowler, Carolyn Bryant, Martha Blythe, Micheal Seregidies, Kenny Beale, Daniel McLaurin, Veneta Smith, Leona Harrell and Cilda Edwards.

Sharon Lee, who is David’s wife, also attended. She is East Pavilion’s business office manager.