Youngsters hope for toys; widow wants to join Lifeline

Editor's note: This is the first installment in a series of profiles for the Toybox and Christmas for the Elderly campaigns sponsored Kyla, 10 and her brother, Danny, 9, have some special requests for Santa this year, and hope the Jaycees can help fill their wishes. Kyla wants a tea set, jump rope, Barbie doll set and card games. She'd like an Easy-bake oven and cooking mixes, notebooks, card games, a diary and an alarm clock.

Her brother, Danny, wants skates, a CD player, a paintbrush and painting set, walkie talkies and board games. He also wants books and electronic video games.

The children live with their mother, who is seeking help from Toybox to fill her children's Christmas wishes.

Christmas for the Elderly

Mrs. A lives alone in a three-bedroom apartment. Her husband is deceased and she has no children. Her income is limited; there's a small pension from her husband's job but Medicare and Medicaid help pay her other medical bills. She's a breast cancer survivor who also suffers from arthritis and needs to use a walker to move about.

Her Christmas wishes are simple: mostly hygiene products and household goods. But she has a few special requests. She'd like a small sized nightgown in any color or design, and gift certificates to Broadway Pharmacy or grocery stores. Gift certificates or cards for fast-food restaurants would make ideal gifts since she and her sister often buy food and bring it home after doctor visits.

Her greatest wish is for money to join the Lifeline program, which offers help to unstable people prone to falls. Joining the program would make Mrs. A feel safer while letting her retain her independence.

Donations for both programs are accepted at the newspaper offices and locations throughout town. Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to either program at P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0004.