Donations needed to provide basic necessities for Christmas for the Elderly program

Christmas for the Elderly, which has been in operation for more than three decades, needs donations to assist low-income seniors in the area.

Southeast Missourian file

The Cape Jaycees Christmas for the Elderly program provides groceries, clothes, and other necessities to low-income seniors in the community.

Tracy Haggerty, chairwoman for the program, said many seniors often struggle, particularly around the holidays

"Many of them just lack basic needs that we all take for granted," Haggerty said. "It can be as simple as money for medicine, warm clothes for the winter or paying the electric bill."

Christmas for the Elderly has been in operation for more than three decades combining local donations and grant funds from the Senior Citizens Service Board of Cape Girardeau County to help out the elderly in the area.

In previous years, Haggerty said, the program used to accept gifts, as well as monetary donations. However, during COVID-19, it shifted away from accepting purchased and donated gifts in order to limit the amount of contact and hands that were on the gifts.

"COVID is very much still a concern for the elderly, in addition to the triple threat of COVID, RSV and the flu," Haggerty said. "Therefore, we continued with this practice and appreciate the community contributions to support our efforts. These donations guarantee that we can get the right gifts in the right hands safely."

Haggerty provided stories of a few requests from seniors in need:

* Mr. and Mrs. B live in a small four-room home. Upon entering, you notice the chill in the air as they do their best to lower energy costs with their limited budget. Despite the small space and limited resources, the love they have for one another is evident as they sit together on the couch laughing. The couple asks for the most basic of gifts from paper towels and toilet paper to warm socks. They live a simple life and find joy in little things.

* Mr. E is a veteran who has no family in the area to visit with him at Christmas. The gifts provided through the Cape Jaycee Christmas for the Elderly are all he receives during the holiday season. With limited mobility, he is unable to get out on his own and depends on local agencies to provide transportation. During this cold season, Mr. E has requested gifts to provide warmth and basic toiletries.

* Ms. W lives alone with no family. She is always looking for new things to keep her mind busy to "keep her young." Her limited budget does not provide her with the resources to replace the things that make life comfortable and meet daily needs such as bed pillows, sheets and kitchen items. Additionally, she lacks the funds to purchase cleaning supplies and basic necessities.

Monetary donations and gift cards to meet the above needs and many others may be dropped off at the Southeast Missourian office at 301 Broadway in downtown Cape Girardeau, and may also be mailed to: Cape Jaycees, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.