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We would like to take this time to say thank you to all of our New Madrid and Pemiscot County businesses for their generous donations to the Christmas party for our children in foster and kinship placements. It was a great success.

The donations of money, food, gifts and other supplies which were provided allowed us to give the children a great Christmas party. We send a special thank you to everyone who took an angel from our trees and purchased a gift for a child. You are indeed a true angel. All your effort and support provided our children with a wonderful outlook for the new year.

Sincerely,

F.O.C.U.S.E.D.

Families of Children Using Specially Enhanced Dwellings

Until Jan. 31, 2003, our dad, Herbert Kitchen, was employed as a sales clerk at a local wholesale store where he had been employed for 36 years. He was discharged without any prior warning and the excuse given was because of cutbacks. We find that reason hard to believe since he was not even offered a lower paid position, yet there were people with less seniority kept on.

If promises had been kept to rebuild a better location, then cutbacks may not have been necessary at all. Anybody who knows our dad knows he is a hard-working, honest person. He had everything he had to this business while employed there. He was often called on by customers in emergency situations even when he was on vacation, holidays and even on Sundays. During these times, if customers called the manager of the store, it was still put on Dad's shoulders to take care of them, yet he never complained even if gotten up from his sleep. We as kids didn't like having our Dad taken away when we were involved with things, but his job was high priority, since it was what provided our living.

After the fire destroyed one of his employers' buildings, our Dad opened up their home for business so customers could still get their needs met. Now his job has been taken from him, and on the same date as his discharge, his and my mom's medical insurance, prescription coverage, life insurance and all have been ripped from him. My dad has done nothing wrong and clearly didn't deserve this kind of treatment. My mom is considered handicapped and can't work to help them out financially. She used to be in a wheelchair but God worked a miracle in her life and she no longer has to use the wheelchair, but a surgery left her without some of her overall balance and that's why she can't work. God is able to work the balance problem out as well, and we hope someday He will do that for her. Until then, they are left with no insurance, no income and several medical bills, along with house payments, car payments and other monthly bills.

Many people know Dad and, to my knowledge, he has no enemies unless they are just some very hard-to-please people. Dad will work with anybody to get what he or she needs. If you know our dad and feel what has been done to him by this company is unfair and you want to air your disappointment, please write or call the owner of the establishment and let him know. If we don't take a stand for each other when injustice has been done, who will stand for us when we are done wrong?

The family of Carma Celeste Wicker True wish to express our thanks and gratitude to each and everyone who helped us so much during our very sad loss.

To the Rev. and Mrs. Richard Farquhar and Norma Clubbs for all their help; to the Mississippi County Ambulance Services, to all those who sent the beautiful flowers, cards and other gifts of love, to all who brought food, the visits, phone calls, prayers and any expression of sympathy, we appreciated you.

A special thank you to the McMikle Funeral Home staff for their very comforting service and to the Rev. Jon Archie for his words of comfort; to Marty Pullen who sang and to all the pallbearers, our dear neighbors, friends and family, again we thank you and appreciate you.

The family of Carma Wicker True