CLOTHES FOR THE HOMELESS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 126, 21 February 1941, Page 4

CLOTHES FOR THE HOMELESS

England's Gratitude For Dominion's Gifts MARCHIONESS OF READING'S LETTER A further communication from the Dowager Marchioness of Reading, chairman of the Women's Voluntary Services, London, has been received by the headquarters of the Lady Galway Patriotic Guild, Wellington, regarding the arrival of shipments of clothing, footwear and bedding from Now Zea land. The letter states: — "We have just received notification of a further shipment of refugee clothing, and I cannot tell you how very much your gift's are appreciated, but from the news you are receiving of the bombing which is taking place you will be able to understand how every item of warm clothing is of incalculable value today. In one of the regions adjoining the London area, to which so many homeless people have been sent during the last few weeks, the news of the arrival of a consignment was so gladly received that the regional commissioner immediately sent lorries to the docks to collect the cases which had been allocated to them.

"1 think you will be interested to read an extract of a letter from one of our regional offices: — "’We are delighted with the consignments we have received of clothes from New Zealand. They are secondhand but of such good quality. We filled the utility van with a load of these clothes yesterday and sent it to an area where help was urgently needed after two bad air raids. Thccentre telephoned this morning to say that the clothes are exactly what was needed.’ ”

Lady Reading also writes: “Before the official machinery can take care of people who have lost all they possess, there is a short period during which they are in need of warm clothing, and it is to fulfil this need that the W.V.S. is spending so much of its energies. Gifts from the Lady Gaiway Patriotic Guild and from other sources make this possible. It is difficult to find words to express our appreciation of your gifts.” A letter dated October 29, 1910, has been received from Mr. W. J. Jordan, High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, which reads :— "Now that considerable shipments of refugee clothing have arrived and have been distributed, I am able to give you a more complete account of how we deal with these consignments. “The distribution of these goods is being attended to by the Women’s Voluntary Services for Civil Defence, who have a clothing depot in London and others in most, of the main centres throughout the country. In addition, this body works in cooperation with the Refugees’ National Committees and Save the Children Fund, the British Red Cross Society, etc.

“Each shipment is taken over by the

Women’s Voluntary Services at the port of discharge, and is distributed to the nearest centre which is in need of clothing. In one instance special lorries were sent to collect an allocation which was urgently required. “You may rest assured that the great work of the Lady Galway Patriotic Guild is helping to satisfy one of the greatest needs of our people here. The large consignments are a tribute to the patriotism of the people of the Dominion, and I can assure you there is no likelihood of a lack of grateful recipients.”