MOTHER NEEDS HELP IF KIDS GET CHRISTMAS

Minimum wage may pay the bills, but it makes buying Christmas presents hard.

A mother of two said money is always tight when the only breadwinner is making $4.25 an hour. She said some things have to be skipped in order to buy necessities.

It is hard to think about Christmas presents when you have problems buying everyday items such as bleach, detergent, toilet paper, and things like that, she wrote.

She has two older children, and both would like to receive toys for Christmas. The son would like a gold Power Ranger, an RC Racer and a DoodleBear. The daughter, who is older, would like a Bubba Talking Bear, a boom box, a necklace, and a size 9 ring.

Toybox, in its 22nd year, is co-sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian. The program provides Christmas presents to 1,200 children each year.

All donations will be used to buy gifts for children through the age of 12 who otherwise might not receive Christmas gifts.

New, unwrapped toys and gifts may be delivered to the Southeast Missourian office or drop-off points at West Park Mall, Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Boatmen's Bank, Gulliver's Travel Agency, Mercantile Bank, Union Planters Bank, AAA Travel Agency, First National Bank, Commerce Bank and Sanders True Value Hardware.

Gifts will be delivered by a team of Jaycee Santas Dec. 19.

Cash contributions may be mailed to Toybox Trust, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0004.