DOG OFFERS GOOD COMPANY FOR WOMAN

Mrs. J is planning a Christmas celebration for her and her Pek~inese dog, as she does each year.

Mrs. J never married, never had any children and has outlived most of her friends and all her relatives.

She is alone except for her pet. So Mrs. J tries to save a few extra dollars for Christmas to buy her little friend a gift and perhaps a treat canned chicken-flavored dog food.

That's as much holiday celebration as Mrs. J can afford.

Mrs. J suffers from a chronic debilitating disease that saps her appetite, making it hard for her to keep up her weight and strength. The expenses of her illness take nearly every penny of her monthly income.

Mrs. J does her best to keep her spirits up, especially during the holidays. She doesn't complain and tries not to dwell on the fact that she is alone. But Christmas could be a lot merrier with a few simple remembrances.

She must drink Sustical, a supplemental diet drink, and can only tolerate the vanilla flavor. But the drink is quite expensive, and Mrs. J often skips her daily dose. A donation of this needed supplement would be a perfect gift.

Also donations of fruit, canned goods and gift certificates for groceries would be welcomed.

Mrs. J would really enjoy include a jogging suit, and a new, warm robe, size small, and new bedroom slippers, size 8.

Paper items like paper towels, toilet paper, facial tissues are also luxuries for Mrs. J.

Donation of dog food would help ensure Mrs. J's best friend's good health.

Christmas for the Elderly is a project of the Cape Girardeau Health Department and the Southeast Missourian newspaper.

Gifts may be brought to the Southeast Missourian, 301 Broadway, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Gifts may also be delivered to the health department, 1121 Linden, after 10 a.m. weekdays. Organizers ask that fruit baskets not be delivered until Dec. 16.

Contributions may be mailed to Christmas for the Elderly, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699.

For more information, call Kim McDowell at 335-6611.