A widow who is about 80 years old called the other day with some complaints.

She is confined to a power wheelchair, she can’t get out and go anywhere without the help of a friend.

Some complaints were directed at the Picayune Item. Mainly, she was unhappy that the paper had dropped Hints From Heloise.

Then she went on to list what I thought were some more serious complaints.

She depends on receiving meals delivered from the hospital by volunteers. She gets those five days a week. She pays for the meals, she said. If it weren’t for a friend who does some grocery shopping for her, she would go hungry on weekends. This coming week is Christmas week and she won’t be receiving meals from the hospital. She understands that the volunteers want to be with their families.

She is concerned, though, about other people in her circumstance who don’t have someone to grocery shop for them.

Also, I think, she would like a real Christmas meal and probably some company.

She likes Picayune, having come to the Deep South from Ohio.

However, she notes other communities have more services available to seniors and shut-ins. In some places frozen meals are brought in to cover the days when hot meals can’t be delivered., And there are grocery stores that deliver to shut-ins. Then there is the matter of transportation. She doesn’t know how she can get out to do things she would enjoy when her friend is not available. I referred her to the Senior Center.

I don’t know if she called the Senior Center and they were able to help her, but I hope so.

She has a major point, though. Perhaps the city should try to provide, or find a way to recruit, more services for people in her circumstance.