ELDERLY WOMAN WHO CARED FOR OTHERS, NOW NEEDS HELP HERSELF

For years, Mrs. G cared for the children of friends and neighbors, but she and her husband never had any children of their own.

As she and her husband got older and retired, Mrs. G switched gears, taking care of her ailing husband until he died.

After a lifetime of taking care of someone else, Mrs. G has faced the reality that she now needs a little help herself.

But it's a battle for Mrs. G to give up her independence. She lives on a small Social Security pension, but after she buys her monthly medications and groceries, Mrs. G often has nothing left.

But when friends ask how she is getting along, she always says "fine." Mrs. G never complains.

She owns a small house, really the only thing of substance she can call her own. Mrs. G keeps it neat as a pin and takes pride in her home. But arthritis makes it difficult for her to keep the place as immaculate as Mrs. G believes it should be. She also suffers from hypertension.

Always a hard worker, Mrs. G, in her 80s, plants a huge garden each summer and cans the bounty to help sustain her through the winter. Jars of sweet potatoes and tomatoes line her cupboards.

While she has food squirreled away, a fruit basket with fresh items would be a welcome treat for Mrs. G. She would also appreciate a gift certificate for groceries to supplement the items she has preserved.

Each winter the bills mount and Mrs. G has a harder time making ends meet. She has stopped buying new things for herself in an effort to conserve money. But she needs a new long-sleeved nightgown, size 38, in blue or pink, and new Platex bras, size 40C.

Mrs. G also adores knick knacks, pretty items to decorate her home. She would enjoy a small Christmas or other holiday decoration to brighten the living room and her spirits.

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.