Those responding to the Physical Abuse Centre's needs should telephone 295-1116 or 292-4366. The numbers given in the Christmas Wish List which appeared in yesterday's Community section were incorrect.

Dear Santa, This is a very special letter and we hope you'll take time to read it carefully because its contents are important to so many. Certainly, it is very different from the usual letters you receive at this time of year because we don't want the usual things like computer games, fire trucks, dolls and puppies.

You are probably wondering who we are, so we'll introduce ourselves without delay.

We are the people who brighten lives, human and animal, and in some cases we actually save them. We are men and women, Bermudian and non-Bermudian, young and not so young, black and white, and of all faiths and creeds.

We are children's and senior citizens' organisations, and the ones who work with the disadvantaged. We give succour to the orphaned, comfort to the sick, cheer to the lonely, help to the physically abused, and shelter to the battered and abandoned.

We operate the blood bank and the animal refuge, deliver meals to shut-ins, and comfort the dying.

In short, we are the helping hands of Bermuda.

All year long we do our good deeds to the best of our ability, but it is not always easy because our needs are greater than our resources. Like everyone else, when Christmas comes around we have our special wishes, and we hope that you can make them come true.

We know the list seems long, but we're sure you'll understand. Please take time to read it carefully. As you can imagine, in these difficult financial times those requiring our assistance are growing in number, so we need more help than ever.

If you cannot bring us everything, we would be thrilled to receive something, because help of any kind really makes a difference to the lives we touch throughout the year.

Thank you, dear Santa, and may all your Christmases be as bright as we try to make the lives of others.

*** Agape House A blender and four-slice toaster would be great, and we also need eight TV stands with wheels. They should be sufficiently high so patients in bed can see the set at the foot of their bed. As a guideline, stands of a similar height to hospital bed tables are about right. Please call Mrs.

DeShields or Mrs. Soares at 236-2345 if you can help.

*** Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau To help our work with Bermuda's estimated 5,000 to 10,000 wild and abandoned cats, we desperately need: a second-hand van (or similar) for transporting cats and cat traps. A sponsor or sponsors to purchase cat food on a regular basis for a colony of 23 cats in Glebe Road.

Monetary donations, big or small, to pay for veterinary services and cat food.

Cat traps and carriers (including flight cages). People to adopt cats and kittens. A jungle gym for cats. Please call 238-8300 anytime or 238-1130 evenings. Make cheques payable to the Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau and send them to P.O. Box WK343, Warwick WKBX. Please request our information package at the same time.

*** Bermuda National Trust We are a fully computerised charity which needs to update our equipment, so a couple of new, DOS-based computers would be splendid. Our office chairs are falling apart, so if anyone's refurbishing an office and would like to send one or two our way, we'd be delighted. Our administrative staff seeks an extra pair or two of hands with secretarial skills. Volunteers please! We're also looking for lots of new members (fees are deliberately low to encourage broad-based support), and $3 million would be super to complete our Capital Campaign! Director Mrs. Amanda Outerbridge would welcome your call at 236-6483.

*** Bermuda Red Cross Blood Bank We need more donors and nurses. Please tell donors giving blood doesn't hurt at all because we use a local anaesthetic to remove any discomfort. Just 30 minutes is all it takes for someone to give blood, including signing in and enjoying refreshments afterwards, while the blood can mean the difference between life and death for recipients. Please call 236-5067 or 236-2345 to make an appointment.

Nurses who are registered with the Bermuda Council of Nurses are needed to assist us in the blood bank. Our hours are 9.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesdays, 1.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. Thursdays. Decide how much time you can give us, then call 236-5067 or 236-2345 to volunteer.

*** Bermuda Society for the Blind We need more customers to buy our goods, so we're having a special sale of our lovely baskets, stools and trays to encourage them. Shopping hours at Beacon House are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Our second wish is for peace and happiness for everyone in 1994.

*** Bermuda TB, Cancer & Health Association A cash register -- not too fancy -- which prints out itemised receipts is what we need the most. Increasing numbers of patients require detailed receipts for insurance claims, and the absence of a suitable machine is slowing down our operation. Of course, it doesn't have to be new or too sophisticated. Please call Mrs. Elaine Harrington at 295-7738 if you can make our wish come true.

*** Brangman Home Now that we're settled into our newly renovated premises, we need pots and pans, decorative mirrors, an area rug for the living room, and drapes. The children need slippers, sweaters and bulletin boards for their rooms. Bicycles (new or second hand) for girls aged 12-15 would be wonderful.

Matron Mrs. Laverne Davis can provide specific details. Just call 292-3699.

*** Businesses against Drugs/Listen A word processor or computer and printer (second-hand is fine) would help us keep up with the growing demand on our resources. Make Mrs. Evelyn Cann's or Mrs. Maria Davis' day by calling 295-2222.

*** Committee of 25 for Handicapped Children Our dearest wish is for a fax machine, which would be of terrific assistance in our work. It doesn't have to be new, just so long as it works well! We also wish for volunteers for our thrift shop, the Bargain Box, on Serpentine Road. It's open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and any time which can be spared during those hours will be a boon. Please call 292-4324 if you can help.

*** Fair Havens Christian Care A large freezer is our primary wish, blankets and bedspreads our second and third. Mrs. Gloria Mills or Miss Deana Douglas can provide further details. Just call 295-2319 any time.

*** Hope Homes We wash for 22 people every day and really need a suitable washing machine. Also, our home is in an old building which means constant renovation, so donations for that as well as training equipment for our residents are always welcome. Money will enable us to continue pursuing our goals and objectives.

*** Extended Care Unit, King Edward Hospital Could we please have socks for men and women? For the women we would also like knee-high stockings, make-up for both black and white complexions, and nail polish. In addition, we need small gifts to use as prizes for the games we play with our patients. If you can help, phone Miss Sandra Allen (tel. 236-2345) or deliver your donations to the Unit's lower level.

*** Lady Cubitt Compassionate Association (LCCA) We need funds to cover the extra needs of our clients at Christmas time in addition to their regular food and gift certificates for much-needed clothing. Like most charities, we are feeling the effects of the recession both in terms of donations and demands on our resources, so please make your cheques payable to the LCCA and mail them to P.O. Box HM64, Hamilton HMAX. Every bit helps! *** Lefroy House Let your generosity blossom! We would like a climbing rose for our garden area, and three or four spindle palms for our lounge. Our residents would really enjoy having a large fish tank with some fish to look at. Matron Mrs. Sharon Swan eagerly awaits your visit! *** Meals on Wheels Could we please have sponsors to pay for meals on behalf of those who cannot pay? Meals are just $3 each; $9 would feed someone for a week (we deliver on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays), while $36 would feed them for a month. And if you're feeling extra-generous $460 will feed them for a year! Also, we are sending out gifts with our Christmas dinners this year, so donations towards their cost would be welcome. Make cheques payable to Meals on Wheels and mail to P.O. Box PG132, Paget PGBX.

For the New Year, we will need volunteer cooks. If you can work from 8.30 a.m.

to 11.30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday or Friday please give us a call at 236-1815.

*** Patients' Assistance League & Service (PALS) We have but wishes three! The first is for volunteers willing to drive and help out in the office. The second is for a typewriter, and the third is for a four-drawer filing cabinet which locks (important!). If you have good news for us, do call 292-3875.

*** Physical Abuse Centre Believe it or not, our first need is for toilet paper! A full house means 16-18 people, which places great demands on this vital product. Paper towels, tooth paste, soap and dishwashing detergent are also needed in quantity, as are tinned goods such as tuna fish, vegetables, evaporated milk, baked beans, spaghetti and corned beef.

Does anyone have a sewing machine they're not using? We have fabric for drapes but nothing to sew it with! Our bathroom could use a new toilet seat and lid, as well as a floor mat and toilet mat. We would also like a canister set for the kitchen, an iron, and a small microwave oven. Room heaters are much needed, as well as toys for young children.

We would be extremely grateful to hear from anyone. Dial 295-1166 or 293-4366 any time between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

*** Riding for the Disabled Our dearest wish is for donations towards the cost of sending a team to compete in the world championships in the UK next year.

Please make cheques payable to the Bermuda Riding for the Disabled Association and send them to our treasurer, Mr. Norman Hol brow, at P.O. Box HM 2043, Hamilton HMHX.

More volunteers to help with the riding programme are also required. If you can spare an hour or two per week, Mrs. Linda Sousa (tel. 238-0659) would love to hear from you.

*** Salvation Army Donations of tinned food for our Christmas hampers -- corned beef, tuna, vegetables and fruit -- would be terrific. For our homeless folk, sweaters and warm jackets (second hand is fine so long as they're clean and in good condition) would really be appreciated. Please deliver your donations to Harbour Light on the corner of King and Victoria Streets. Capt. Barrett at 292-0601 is your contact man for further information. Senior Islanders' Club Our biggest wish is for a computer and printer -- they don't have to be new, of course -- to make our growing workload more manageable. Industrial size pots and pants are also needed. Please make director Mr. Fred Hassell's Christmas by telephoning 295-9094.

*** Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals We are desperate for towels and blankets to keep our puppies and kittens warm. They don't have to be new, of course, just clean. Pet food and animal toys are always needed, and as always we wish for homes for all of our animals. You can bring your donations to our Valley Road Shelter any time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

*** S.T.A.R. Pardon that our list seems long, but we have many, many needs. Lovely as Light House is, our new home needs some finishing touches to make it a cosy home. So curtains for the living room and bedrooms, blankets, heaters, scatter rugs for the bedrooms (the floors are tiled and therefore cold) and fabric to cover two sofas would be very, very welcome.

Financial help is always appreciated because of the increasing demands on our resources. Our children, for example, need bus passes, rain gear and school uniforms throughout the year. Our vehicle always needs gas, and we would like to set aside funds especially for this purpose.

Volunteers are also needed to befriend our folk. All we ask is that they be genuinely concerned about those who are suffering and able to give unconditional love and support.

Finally, on December 22 we will be making up Christmas hampers at Wesley Methodist Church hall, so donations of Christmas meats (turkeys, hams, roasting chickens) to put in them should be delivered before 10 a.m. that day.

Please call Mrs. Carolyn Armstrong or Mrs. Ruth Skinner at 292-5941 if you can make any of our wishes come true.

*** Westmeath Since we're not on a bus route, we need more volunteer drivers to take residents to doctor's and other appointments at short notice. For the home, we would appreciate a telephone table with stool so our seniors can make calls in comfort. To brighten the garden and bring joy to all who see it, seedlings would provide a colourful reminder of the Christmas spirit in the months ahead. An electric broom for the dining room would be really handy.

Matron Mrs. Jenny Gibson at 295-2421 looks forward to good news! *** Women's Resource Centre We would be extremely grateful if you could fit a fax machine, photocopier, or laser printer into your bag, Santa. And is there an angel -- or two, or three! -- who could provide funding for a court advocate? If so, please call 295-3882.