CASE 4

Three generations of Ms. C's family find themselves living together in a one-bedroom apartment. Ms. C, 76, took in her two granddaughters and a great-grandson when their house was destroyed by fire. The three lost nearly everything, including all of the granddaughters' clothing. Ms. C. does her best to stretch her income of $765 a month, which barely covers rent, utility and medical bills.

Though she is blind in one eye, Ms. C. isn't thinking of herself for the holidays, just her young ones. They would appreciate clothing, winter coats, diapers and gift certificates for groceries.

CASE 5

Both Susan, 51, and her daughter, Karen, 10, have a wealth of special needs. Because of multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure and strokes, Susan is wheelchair bound. Yet she does her best to take care of Karen, who has more than her own share of ailments: allergies, asthma, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.

The two have a great deal of difficulty getting around. Susan cannot afford a wheelchair accessible vehicle, making treatment for Karen difficult. Susan has asked for nothing special for Christmas, but a cash gift would help pay medical and utility bills.

CASE 6

Ms. J is a single mother of two teenagers, a girl, 14, and a boy, 18. The son, a high school senior, has chronic asthma, but the family does not have medical insurance and they owe about $1,200 in medical bills. Because his asthma is triggered by bad weather, he has missed a lot of school in the last several weeks and anticipates missing more as the weather turns worse. The family would appreciate clothes, gift certificates for basic needs, and any help at all with the son's medical bills.

-----------

Profiles by Post-Dispatch writers Kathleen Nelson and Valerie Schremp Hahn.