Each year, The Royal Gazette helps registered charities and special homes by publishing a "wish list" detailing needs which they cannot afford to purchase themselves. Written by Nancy Acton in the form of a letter to Santa, it gives the public an opportunity to respond, either individually or collectively, and share the Christmas spirit in a meaningful way with gifts that go on giving all year.

Dear Santa,

This is a very special letter, and we hope you will take time to read it carefully because its wishes are important to so many. You will find that it is very different to the usual letters you receive at this time of year because we don't want bicycles, CD players, puppies or footballs. Instead, we are the many charities and rest homes who brighten human and animal lives, and in some cases we actually save them. We are men and women, Bermudian and non-Bermudian, or all ages, races and creeds, and from all walks of life, who simply desire to make lives and our world better.

We are children's and senior citizens' organisations, and the ones who work with the disadvantaged. We give support to the orphaned, comfort to the sick and dying, cheer to the lonely, help to the physically and mentally abused and challenged.

We also work with animals, giving them food, treatment and new homes. In short, we are the helping hands of Bermuda, and we love what we do throughout the year. Despite willing hearts, however, our work is not always easy because our needs are greater than our resources.

Like everyone else, when Christmas comes around we hope that, with your help, the season of goodwill will touch all hearts and translate into real help for those we serve.

If this list seems long, it is because, in these increasingly expensive and uncertain times, those requiring our assistance are growing in number, and we find that we are struggling to meet their needs. If you cannot bring us everything we are asking for, we understand, but we would be thrilled to receive something because every wish fulfilled really makes a difference to the lives of those we touch throughout the year.

Thank you, dear Santa, and may you, too, receive the blessings of the Christmas season.

PALS: We really do need an electric bed for our patients, and Mrs. Ann Smith Gordon has all the details if you phone her at 236-7257. Alternatively, she would welcome donations towards the cost of one. PALS says a big 'Thank You' to everyone for being so supportive throughout the year and we wish you all a peaceful, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

WindReach Recreational Village: We'd like the world but we'll settle for a host of new volunteers of all ages and abilities. We need people during the week who can help us out, particularly with our tours of the facility, as well as on our community service days. We would really welcome two computer workstations to complete our recent computer upgrade. Of course, donations towards our work are always welcome. Jacqueline Horsfield awaits good news at 238-2469.

Riding for the Disabled: We're wishing for a cordless telephone/answering machine, waterproof alphabet letters (upper and lower case), a barrell-bodied wooden children's riding horse to introduce our clients to saddling and sitting on a horse, children's riding pants and short riding boots for youngsters who can't afford their own. We also need wood for a cupboard with shelves, and a volunteer carpenter to make it. Donations and sponsors are always wished for. It costs $2,000 to sponsor a child for a year, $6,000 to sponsor a pony for a year, $22 for a bale of hay, $14 for a bag of feed, and $60 to trim a horse's feet, and of course apples and carrots as treats for the horses would also be nice. So, any and all gifts will be gratefully received. Just call Mrs. Moira Benbow at 238-7483.

Lefroy House: Four end tables, table lamps, artificial flowers and an artificial tree would really set off our d?cor. Make administrator Rosheena Masters' day by telephoning 234-0525.

Brangman Home: We would be delighted to receive cutlery for ten people, a home-sized photocopier and fax machine, an answering machine, and subscriptions to the internet and cable television. We would welcome curtains and table cloths too, but please ( Miss Smith at 292-3699 to discuss sizes.

Packwood Nursing Home: Donations of craft materials and funds to take our residents on outings and buy them treats would be just wonderful. They really love to go out, and when the ice cream van drops by, you should see the smiles on their faces! So, cheques made payable to Lefroy House and mailed to Seniors on the Move, Packwood Nursing Home, 132 Somerset Road, MA 04 or P.O. Box MA257, Mangrove Bay, Somerset would be perfect.

Devonshire Rest Home: Our need for a heavy duty, or commercial grade, dryer is very, very urgent, and we don't mind if it is second hand provided it is in good shape. Please call Mr. Peter Rewan at 295-8908 if you can help. Hospital beds for our residents are another very real need, but if the cost seems to high, then please think about making a donation towards their purchase. Cheques should be made payable to: Devonshire Parish Council, P.O. Box DV 52, Devonshire DV 05.

Pembroke Rest Home: Our favourite gift would be 7-8 quart stainless steel wash basins for residents who are in bed. Bedding, towels and pillow are other priorities. Specifically, we need terry towels and face cloths, draw sheets, waterproof mattress covers and pillow cases, pillows, bedspreads, pillowcases and floor mats. We have 25 beds, so all gifts will be gratefully received. For those who are feeling extremely generous, we need armchairs for our dining room, as well as heaters, tiles for the floors and windows. Our new activities department would welcome craft materials, and jigsaw puzzles with jumbo-sized pieces. Nurse/administrator Flora Trott is the lady to contact at 292-1864.

KEMH Continuing Care Programme: We would welcome volunteers to assist in a variety of ways - everything from feeding the patients to answering the phone. Please ( programme manager Granville Russell at 239-2054.

Agape House/Friends of Hospice: Our patients would really welcome cushions for our six-foot garden benches and two chairs. Wet wipes and plug-in, scented oil room deodorises/deoderisers/deodorizers plus refills would be wonderful, as would scented candles. Is there a good Samaritan out there who can fix our fireplace, which has started smoking? With winter here, our patients love to sit around the fire, but until we can fix the problem they can't enjoy it. Sally at 239-2025 anxiously awaits good news.

Westmeath Seniors' Residence: Our residents would truly welcome a CD player and some CDs of nice, soothing, easy-listening music. We also need four wheelchairs. Does anyone want to adopt our garden? We would really love that. Gift certificates to plant nurseries would be a great gift, as well as pretty shrubs and little bushes. Outdoor furniture would be very helpful, and of course volunteers to help us with a variety of things would be a boon. Tickle matron Jennifer Gibson pink by telephoning 295-2451 with your donations.

Meals on Wheels: We have just one wish this year: sponsors for clients who cannot afford to pay for their meals. It costs just $3 a day per person, $12 a week, $50 a month or $600 a year to brighten someone's life. Miss Barbara Frith (236-1815 is standing by to thank you.

Friends of the Bermuda National Library: Our first wish is for everyone to use our libraries more. There are lots of new books, programmes for adults and children, family nights, storytelling, and more. Donations are always welcome because Government's budget for the library cannot cover everything. So, please make your cheques made payable to Friends of the Bermuda National Library and mail them to the library at Par-la-Ville, 13 Queen Street, Hamilton HM 11.

Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau (BFAB) Spaying and neutering wild cats costs $100 per pair of breeding animals, and we recently bought cat traps, which cost approximately $150 to import, so donations would really be welcome. Our wish list also includes these basics: garbage bags, paper towels, hand wipes, animal-friendly disinfectants to clean the traps and carriers, and clean old towels and small sheets. In terms of manpower, we always need volunteers for either long-term or temporary help in fostering kittens and feeding cats at feeding stations. Is there someone willing to a volunteer cat trapper on call 24 hours a day 365 days of the year who will sign our contract and agree to our terms of voluntary employment? To make any of our wishes come true ( 291-1737.

Bermuda National Trust: Our primary wish is for improved understanding of and respect for Bermuda's natural and built environment, which is so special and worth protecting for the good of us all, and to encourage those who do not feel this way to stop dumping garbage everywhere, even in our fragile nature reserves, and also to stop covering historic monuments with pointless graffiti. In addition, dear Santa, we also have some material desires, such as an LCD projector, a laptop computer and a digital camera for our education programme; funding for a website redesign; donation of open spaces, especially those incorporating fragile habitats such as caves and mangroves; dry storage areas for NT books, and lots of wonderful donated items for our annual auction in February. Finally, we would love for everyone in Bermuda to become a member of the National Trust. Call Amanda Outerbridge at 236-6483.

Bermuda Red Cross: Top of our list are volunteers, including drivers, certified CPR instructors, nurses for blood donor assistance, and also to help on Red Cross Day. We would deeply appreciate donations to purchase new equipment for our snazzy new Equipment Rental Department. Please call us at 236-8253 with your offer of help.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Bermuda: These requests may be a bit much, but the Bible says, "You have not because you ask not! " So...in addition to volunteers, we are wishing for an HP colour Laser Jet 2500N series printer, a new PC with Windows XP Professional and Office XP installed, a television/video combo unit, 3 Com switch 12 port or 24 port, an electronic folding machine, a computer desk, a coin counter for tag day, an additional supply of BBBS T-shirts, and a 42-inch wide venetian blind. Patrice Parris is wishing you will call 292-2802.

Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda: Our busy office staff never stop! So equipment wears out, and that means we would love to receive: a photocopier (colour preferred), fax machine, and colour printer. In addition, clocks to put in patients' rooms would be timely. If you can make any of these wishes come true, telephone Lena Ostroff at 236-2488

Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association: We would love to have a video machine. Donations would be a real blessing since our hydraulic bus is so expensive to licence and maintain. In fact, the bus plays a vital role in our lives. Not only does it bring disabled people to work, but also we give disabled tourists free tours. We are also fully booked taking people to venues on Christmas day. Cheques made payable to the BPHA should be mailed to us at P.O. Box HM08, Hamilton HMAX. Our other wish is for families of disabled people to become more involved in their lives, to be more compassionate and helpful. Providing transportation and making time to take them places would bring them so much pleasure. Meanwhile, we want to thank everyone for their support over the years, and to the Government for doing its part.

Salvation Army: We urgently need donations of edible treats, such as candy canes, lollipops, fruit and nuts for the 700 children on our list. In addition, we need a usable but old refrigerator and a couple of freezers at the Jack King Building in the Botanical Gardens to temporarily store the frozen turkeys and chickens while we are making up the Christmas hampers. If you deliver we'll cart them away afterwards! Major Eyre anxiously awaits your call at 292-0601.

Senior Islanders' Club: As publishers of two newsletters we desperately need a copier machine, A.F. Smith has offered us a good deal. If you can help to clinch it that would be great. In addition, is there a donor, or group of donors, who will pay the licence and insurance on our van for the next year? These costs, together with repairs, amount to about $5,000 per annum, so we would really, really appreciate this wish coming true. Of course, we would also welcome a voucher or vouchers for the diesel fuel to run our van. Rev. Fred Hassell is praying for financial blessings at 295-9094 .

Bargain Box: We raise money for the Committee of 25 for Handicapped Children. Volunteers, volunteers and more volunteers to help sort and sell donated goods, as well as help out generally, is our wish this year. We are open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and any amount of time would be a help. Please call Mrs. Bea Stott at the Bargain Box 292-4324 with your good news. Also, our new chairman, Mr. Raymond O'Leary, is looking for a part-time volunteer secretary to help with office duties, and would like to hear from you at 292-2480.

Physical Abuse Centre: Do we have a list for you! And we will be so grateful for anything you care to donate. Choose from: Bath towels, wash cloths, hand towels, twin bedspreads (solid colours, two in the same colour), twin bed sheets, a set of pots, vacuum cleaner, 75-watt light bulbs, 4-slice toaster, kitchen towels, mops, brooms, dust pans, toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, Kleenex toilet paper, body powder, hand and baby lotion, bath soap). We always need evaporated milk and margarine, and cleaning materials such as bleach, dish and laundry detergent. A microwave would be wonderful, as would a VCR machine and television set. Xerox paper (8 " x 11") both white and colour, would be a big help too. Dare we add that a van would be such a big help to us. Please call us at 292-4366.

Sunshine League: We have four teenaged girls and five boys aged ten to 16 who need a range of things, including clothing and school supplies. The list is too long to publish here, so please (292-4360 for full details.

SPCA: Our dogs are hoping Santa will bring them Nylabones or similar hard-chew toys, various sized milk bones or similar biscuits, sturdy toys, various length leashes, and Precise dog food, while our kitty-cats have furry mice, balls and other cat toys, as well as Friskies canned food, large litter scoops, and cat treats on their list. Our office needs a digital camera (second hand in good working order is fine), and paper towels, liquid hand soap and tall kitchen trash bags would be very, very welcome. Either drop by or phone us with good news at 236-7333.

STAR/The Lighthouse: Our old TV/video is beyond repair, so our residents have no entertainment at the moment. Therefore, a replacement TV/video machine for our living room would be wonderful. For our bedrooms we wish for rugs, as the tiled floors are so cold. A dinner set for ten residents is also needed, as are toiletries for men and women (deodorant, powder, lotions) to combat dry skin caused by their medications. Make Mrs. Ruth Skinner's Christmas by telephoning 292-5941.

LCCA: We wish all of our volunteers, donors and friends a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. Most of all we wish for mutual understanding and solutions so that we may have a peaceful world.

St. Brendan's Hospital: We hope a special group, individual or organisation will surprise us with these wishes: neutral, heavy-duty living room furniture, which does not need repair or reupholstering, as well as furnishings for the wall and floor of our recreational areas, and large, artificial plants with planters (preferably hanging). We also need an upright freezer or chest, two computers and a photocopier, as well as mannequins (male or female) for our thrift store. Are there corporate volunteers or charities who would adopt a ward or service? Please call our Director of Volunteer Services, Linda Trott at 236-3770 ext. 3238 (but not between December 23 and January 3).