Splashes of Sunshine frighten HDark Tlaces

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 129, 2 June 1934, Page 2 (Supplement)

Splashes of Sunshine frighten HDark Tlaces

A DAY WITH SISTER PAT. WHERE THE SUNSHINE PENETRATES, WATCH OUR BAROMETERS RISE. Dear Sunbeams, — Here we are about to enter the seventh week of our campaign of joy and sunshine. Six weeks of effort, which has been so wonderfully successful. And we have not finished yet! Just you watch our barometers climb week by week as parcels come in from all over the country. To-day they stand at nearly one thousand patches and almost a hundred singlets. It seems that our goal of 10,000 patches and many hundred singlets ■will prove but a stepping stone to the final figures. j This last week has been one of those "sad-happy" ones; happy because our work when distributed meant so much to those who received it —sad because of the distress which necessitates such help. Sister Pat (bless her happy heart and work of good cheer) wrote to me the other day, and I pass on to you without comment an extract from her letter: "The Sunshine Patches are being made into rainbow quilts jus? as quickly as they come, and I know you are longing to know where your work goes and how it is helping to spread sunshine and cheer. I could go on for pages telling about our folks, but somehow it seems hard to paint in words the drabness and need of so many families. "It does not sound interesting to say five or six or seven children, father on relief—or worse still, sustenance —and warm clothing needed, and yet that is the monotonous story in so many cases, and when one sees the poor homes, the under-nourished, ill-clad, albeit cheerful youngsters, it assumes a different aspect. And always the demand exceeds the supply and one hates to say no to any deserving mother (or even underserving one when her children are cold.) "I do want you to know how very grateful' we are for your help. Those baby singlets we were so anxious for just came at the right ( time, as we had not any on our shelves and six parcels needed urgently." And now I know you are' longing to learn where your work goes to and how it helps to spread sunshine and cheer. Well, first for a peep in my letter box. One lady, after reading about our campaign, wrote to tell me about a family near her in the country. There are ten children and they have to go six miles to school. They have no coats and go to school covered in a horse cover. The little girls had no singlets and were very much teased by better-dressed children when the school doctor came and the others found out how poorly they were clad. .Well you may be sure I sent this letter straight to Sister Pat, and this very week a sack of warm things whs sent to the family, amongst them the first Sunshine quilt (the one that was in Milne and Choyce's window) and some warm Sunshine singlets for those poor children. Then there is a little girl named Betty (aged 11), who has been sick for ever so long. Her mother wrote saying that now the cold weather was coming she did not know how to buy warm underclothing. There are seven other children, but the mother only asks for warn* things for Betty, "if you have anything left after serving all your deserving cases." Sister Pat knows all about this family and how needy they are, so of course some more Sunshine singlets were sent off straight away to keep little Betty warm, and the next Rainbow quilt is to go to her too. Another woman wrote to ask for warm clothes for her daughter's baby, who is nine weeks old. Baby's father has deserted her and so grandma has been looking after them, although she herself has six children ar;d a sick husband. These are only a few cases, just to let you know how much we need your help and to tell you how splashes of sunshine brighten dark places. As fast as the Sunshine singlets come in they are sent to keep little children warm, and Sister Pat tells me they have ever so many people waiting for them. Every day {here are pathetic appeals coming from other folks, and, provided we c?n be sure the need is genuine, we do not want to say "No" to anyone, do we? So I am sure my Sunbeams will keep on work- /A/vL^" ing as splendidly as they have begun, and make this . \- the most successful campaign in our history. jf kj'^^j^r^