HELPERS AT SERVICES HOSTEL

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 114, 9 February 1944, Page 3

HELPERS AT SERVICES HOSTEL

Gathering In Their Honour

"We thought it appropriate that we should ask you to conic to the place where you are doing such hard aud valuable work, so that on behalf, uot only oi the Wellington Metropolitan Patriotic Committee, but of everybody, _we could thank you for what you are doing, said the mayor of Wellington, Mr. Hislop, chairman of the Patriotic Committee, at a gathering yesterday for volunteer workers at the Combined Services Hostel, Dixon Street. . , The hostel branch of the 1 atriotic Committee entertained all the women, who attend individually or. with a group, to make up the bunk beds each day at the hostel. For the year just ended, a total of close on 50,000 beds were made, which, as Mr. Hislop Pointed out, was almost 1000 beds a week. These voluntary workers were entitled to warm-heart-ed thanks, though they did not seek.it, he sa_ii- They were doing a war JOI) and doing if well, and that knowledge was their reward. He was glad to have this opnortunity of letting the citizens or Wellington know of this particular line patriotic work which went on from day to day. wet or fine, and so helped to make the lot of servicemen in Wellington as pleasant as possible. Special guests were Mrs. P. hruser, wife of the Prime Minister, and Dominion president of the W.W.S.A.; Mrs. C. A. Hislop, Mr. Vincent Ward, Mrs. J. J. Goldsmith, and Mrs. Dennietoun-Wood, of the hostel committee; Mrs. M. J. Bentley, divisional leader of the W.WJS.A. No. 1 canteen section, which has been responsible for so much of the work: Mrs: R. Love, Miss Malempre and Mr W. Wills. Mrs. East, matron of the hostel was unable to be present because of illness.’ . , ~ , Mrs. Fraser, Mr. Hislop, Mr. Ward, and Mr. Wills, In paying tribute to the work that is being done, specially mentioned Mrs. Bentley for her outstanding effort. Mrs. Fraser spoke of the great work done by the voluntary workers, not onlv the W.W.S.A.. but the. church groups and other women’s organizations as well. Bed making was not a spectacular iob, but it had to be done, and it was an important job. Many of the women present did other war work, packing pri-soner-of-war parcels, for instance. Sirs. Fraser said she had had the opportunity, while in Sydney, of talking with some returned men, who said that the parcels and their letters, received while prisoners of war, were the one bright spot in their lives. . , . ... Without the co-operation and splendid spirit shown by her fellow workers, Aire. Bentlev said, she could not have carried on. The fellowship that existed from the beginning had made .things so much easier Helpers came, from all parts of Wellington. She gave special thanks to the Arinv men working at the hostel for t^ eir helpfulness and courtesies. Mrs. Bentley appealed for more helpers on Saturdays and Sundays, when assistance was urgently needed. , . A small presentation was made to an elderly Indv. Miss Douglas, a resident of the Eventide Home. who. though now unable to continue, had been one of Mrs. Bentlev's constant helpers. l\Tr. V. Ward, honorary secretary of the Wellington Metropolitan Patriotic Committee, said how pleased he was that the public find been given this opportunity ot appreciating the work being done for servicemen.