Adopting German Child Refugees

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

Adopting German Child Refugees

English Village Sets an Example

small boys who thought nobody wanted them have been adopted by the men, women and children of Pluckley, Kent, England, says an English correspondent writing just before Christmas. The 600 inhabitants are putting coppers and shillings together to collect enough money to give the boys a homo in their midst. They are Jewish refugees from Germany, and were expected to arrive in the village in time for Christmas, a grand reception being planned for thorn. First they were to go to a large old farmhouse run by two well-to-do women and to have a Christmas tree, presents, turkey and plum pudding, games and fun with other village children during the Christmas holidays. Afterwards they were to enter the homo of a woman in the village. "The women of the village decided to adopt two boys aged about ton, and when we made our idea generally known everybody offered to help," said the wife of the rector of Pluckley. "One woman is providing tlio means of support for one of the boys, while the money to keep the other is being contributed by agricultural workers, tradesmen, farmers atul so forth. Somo of the contributions are as littlo as a penny a month, as that is all agricultural workers with children of their own can afford. "We liopo other villages will follow our example."