Clothes Needed By Mission

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32007, 6 June 1969, Page 2

Clothes Needed By Mission

Children’s clothing, particularly for youngsters from five to 11 years old, is urgently required by the Anglican City Mission. Yesterday it was unable to adequately outfit children of two needy families with warm clothing for schooL

The mission's stocks of school shoes for boys and girls, school shirts, boys’ pants, underclothing, girls' frocks, skirts, slacks, socks, cardigans, jerseys, and coats are almost exhausted. Although the mission’s social worker (Miss L. M. Knights) likes -to outfit children in clothes which fit properly and look attractive she has had to compromise lately. “If the garment is a few sizes too big but it keeps the child warm and is the only thing we’ve got, what else can I do?” she said yesterday. Miss Knights keeps a file of those the mission assists so that she can notify them

when a garment comes in which would be suitable. During the last six weeks about 110 customers have been served at the mission, which also has a shop in Opawa Road.

Cheap Clothing Clothes given by the public, usually from Anglican parishes, are sold at minimum prices. Very needy cases, referred to the mission or personally known to ft, are given clothing, but each case is treated on its merits. Money from the sale of clothes is used for the mission’s other social work, including grocery orders, and orders for coal, wood and household goods. Pensioners, families in which the wage earner has had long periods of sickness and is unable to work, and those who are incapable of budgeting their income, use the mission’s services. “The sickness benefit is adequate if the father is off sick for three weeks or so, but if 4t goes on for nine months the children have grown out of their clothes and the money just won’t stretch to outfitting them,” said Miss Knights. “Children between five and 11 grow out of their clothes quickly, and wear them out rapidly. In most families clothes for this age group get handed down from one to the other so they are usually too worn-out to be donated to us.” Workers Busy Voluntary workers, who are constantly busy among the mission’s racks and boxes

of clothing efficiently organised by Miss Knights, find a use for almost anything. Cloth with some wear left is cut from worn-out coats and suits and a band of women are kept busy making patchwork blankets from the remnants. Other items which cannot be worn are sold to firms buying rags. One group sews and mends, repairing good used clothing. Another converts garments for which there is not a great demand into badly needed items. A woman’s very long flared skirt will be made into a pair of boys* slacks. A child’s dress can be converted from an adult’s garment, and boy’s shorts, always in demand, are made from any suitable material.

Knitters unpick jerseys and cardigans which are worn in places and knit up the remaining wool into a smaller garment. “That’s one of the reasons we don’t have enough jerseys and cardigans for the five to 11-year-olds because there’s seldom enough wool left to knit those sizes,” said Miss Knights.