DEAR SUN SPOTS: How many veterans from World War II are still alive? Thank you for your research and answer. — Henry Sakrison, Otisfield

ANSWER: Sun Spots found this answer at www.nationalww2museum.org:

“According to statistics released by the Veteran’s Administration, our World War II vets are dying at a rate of approximately 550 a day. This means there are approximately only 1.2 million veterans remaining of the 16 million who served our nation in World War II.

“This urgency guides the museum in everything we do. Collecting the oral history of a veteran, donating an artifact, creating a personal page or contributing to the museum are only a few of the ways you can help us to preserve the legacy of the greatest generation.”

The museum seems to be tuned into the likelihood that many veterans will not be computer users and have set it up so friends and family can help you post your war story. Go to www.nationalww2museum.org/honor/personal-pages.html to set it up.

Or alternatively, visit the public library (during a slow time of day, say while kids are still in school) and ask the librarian for help. The librarian can also help if you’d just like to read about the museum online.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: We have written this request in the past. The last time it was just before Christmas, and your readers really responded to the need. Here at the Center for Wisdom’s Women (a day drop-in center for women), we offer free hygiene items to those who need them.

Women may request a bag once a month. We get about 50 requests each month. Once again our stock has been depleted.

We would welcome donations of shampoo, conditioner, tampons and pads, razors, deodorant, toothpaste and brushes. For the moment we have plenty of soap. For the summer, sunscreens would be helpful, too. These must all be new, full-size and unopened bottles.

Other more specialty items might be nice, but we really cannot take anything other than the basic items, as we have limited storage capacity. The ideal would be for church groups and other organizations to make a commitment to regularly supply these items.

This outreach makes a big difference for women on a tight budget. Food stamps will not pay for these items, yet for someone to look and feel good, they are very needed. Thank you! — Klara Tammany, cww@oxfordnetworks.net, 207-513-3922

ANSWER: Sun Spots was curious about why they cannot use travel-size items, which many people have on hand from hotels, rather than going out and buying full-size items. Here is Klara’s response:

“We give women a bag of items to last them for one month. Travel sizes only go for a few days. We do take travel sizes from time to time to make outreach packets that we give to women on the street with our card inside, but currently we have an overabundance of that, especially small soaps — more than we know what do do with. If we don’t have large supplies, like right now, we give women a pack of samples to last a few days and ask them to come back.”

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am looking for hostas to fill in my garden. I find it grows great in sun and shade. Thanks. — Dorothea, Lewiston

ANSWER: Many local charities have plant sales where they sell perennials, such as hostas, donated by gardeners whose plants need to be divided.

The only current one Sun Spots can think of is River Valley Animal Advocates, whose sale is this weekend, May 30 and 31 (rain dates June 6 and 7), from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Riverside Realty’s lot on Route 2 in Mexico. 

For more information, contact Becky McDonald at 597-2323 or mcdonald6498@roadrunner.com.

If readers know of others or have plants to share, please write.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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