The 100 Neediest Cases is an annual charitable campaign jointly sponsored by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the local chapter of the United Way. The campaign selects 100 families and individuals that are profiled in the Post-Dispatch during November and December. Local students participate in contests for the selection of companion illustrations in the profiles. The sponsoring organizations and other charities absorb the administrative cost. Local organizations adopts individual cases, donating food, medications, household necessities, and holiday presents etc. for the 100 beneficiaries of the campaign.