WOMAN FACES LONELY HOLIDAY

Christmas for Mrs. L this year will be a quiet affair. She'll be alone.

Her family lives in southern Missouri but they are very poor. While they care very much about Mrs. L they cannot afford a trip to Cape Girardeau to visit her. She would never ask them for help.

Mrs. L is a diabetic and has heart problems. Due to the diabetes, Mrs. L's toes have become crippled. Her medication is quite expensive and Mrs. L has a very limited income.

She has trouble walking and doesn't have an opportunity to go very many places other than the doctor.

But Mrs. L has been a long-time fan of soap operas. Within the past few months, her very old black-and-white television quit working. It cannot be repaired, and she doesn't have money to replace it.

The best Christmas gift for Mrs. L would be a new television set. Mrs. L misses the events on "All My Children" and "As the World Turns."

Mrs. L, like many elderly people, has put off purchasing new clothing and household items. Practical gifts like wash clothes and towels or a warm blanket and sheets for a double bed would be wonderful gifts for her.

She wears only house shoes, size 7 wide, or big woolen socks. She would also enjoy a foot stool. Mrs. L also needs a new nightgown and housecoat, size 2X.

Christmas for the Elderly is a joint project of the Cape Girardeau Health Department and the Southeast Missourian newspaper as a way to bring a little holiday cheer to needy, elderly residents.

Organizers ask that gifts be given by Dec. 13.

Gifts may be delivered to the Southeast Missourian office, 301 Broadway, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

Gifts may also be delivered to the health department, 1121 Linden, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Checks may be mailed to Christmas for the Elderly, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.

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