GIFTS FOR VIETNAMESE

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31380, 27 May 1967, Page 21

GIFTS FOR VIETNAMESE

Soap, writing pads, and reels of cotton contained in plastic bags will soon be in the hands of Vietnamese war victims who have lost these everyday objects. The three articles are among a variety which have been assembled into three types of “Viet Kits” by members of the Aldred Memorial Church, St Albans, in a scheme to provide the simple basic essentials to people who have lost most or all of their possessions. Each ‘hygiene kit” includes an attractive hand towel, a cake of germicidal soap, a tin of talcum powder, a comb, and a small plastic-backed mirror wrapped in the towel. The children’s school kits include pads of brightlycoloured writing paper, sets of coloured pencils, an ordinary pencil, and a pencil sharpener, a rubber eraser, and a pair of blunt-ended children’s scissors. Black and white buttons, needles, safety pins, black and white thread, and good quality scissors are contained in the sewing kits. Nine dozen kits have been prepared by Aldred Church members in the church’s women’s fellowship, Sunday school and Bible classes. They

are to be dedicated during a church service on June 4 and will be sent soon afterwards. The project was “ringing a bell” with his people where other references to Vietnam had not, said the minister (the Rev. P. D. Ramsay). It created a positive attitude to, and a

i valuable involvement with the i : suffering of the Vietnamese. 1 ■ The purchasing and packing of the small items was practical ' i and simple, and yet “at the < i other end so necessary.” i Mrs J. Shears, president of j i the Aldred Methodist ' I Women’s Fellowship, said that ; i the 11 people in her group :

felt the project was very worthwhile. The provision of the kits was decided on after an address given to young members of the church by Mr B. Barron, a director of ‘‘World Vision, an organisation aimed at providing assistance in Vietnam.