SOCIAL SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 73, 30 March 1929, Page 5

SOCIAL SERVICE

HELPING THE AFFLICTED

A mooting of the Welfare branch of the Women's National Reserve was held at the Reserve- rooms, Fletcher's Building. Mrs. Guthrie presided, and welcomed the new secretary, Miss Wiltshire, also paying a special tribute to tho work done by the late secretary (Miss Port), who lias left for a. visit overseas.

A resume of tlio work done by the branch sinco its inception to the present date was given. This stated that when the Welfare branch was established three years ago it was hoped to interest a great many more people in the inmates, particularly the women and children, who are in the Mental Hospitals. It was intended to try and extend this sympathetic interest to the whole district that Porirua Hospital serves, namely, Hawkes Buy, Taranaki, and the whole of Wellington province. The Women's National Kescrve started the work of friendly assistance to those in Porirua on finding out certainly that thcro was a great field for sympathetic work there, and that it would bo cordially welcomed by tho authorities and stuff. It was ascertained that apart from the personal attention of friends and relatives to individual patients very little, ou tho whole, was dtmo outside the Department. It was realised that tho ignorance of the world at large of the liv.es and conditions of the patients was very complete, and it was therefore hoped by establishing the branch, and working towards the betterment of the inmates in the social way (by visits, gifts, and general friendliness), that their needs would be brought before tho public. At present fourteen .branches wero interesting themselves in these people, including Feilding, Palmerston North, Cartcrton, Greytpwn, Featherston, Lower Hutt, Wadestown, Khandallah, Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay, Seatoun, Mirainar, Kelburn, Northland, and Berhainpore. Each branch undertook to provide one hamper in the year, and a special combined effort was made annually at Christmas. The effort for the first Christmas included the supplying of a gramophone and records for the women's hall, as well as a tree, and this proved so enjoyable and beneficial that the Department added others. The branch wishes it to be understood that records (not necessarily new ones) are always in demand. Last Christinas a wireless sot for the women accompanied tho tree, and this also proved a great boon. It was felt that there is not the diversity of employment or recreation for the women and children in the hospital as there is for the men, the latter having billiards, fishiug, etc., added to their pleasures; therefore the branch tried to gather pleasant things specially for those who had least, and it was hoped that a real interest would be taken by the public throughout the area which supplies patients to Porirua Hospital in this necessary and kindly work. Mrs. D. H. Guthrio (president) and Miss Wiltshire (lion, secretary), and members of the committee, were willing to give information and receive gifts of money or kind for tho benefit of the patients. It was decided to send a copy of the report of the work done to each branch, and to try and interest individual members in the spreading of tho work in new fields. Letters were read from the matron and a patient of tho Porirua Mental Hospital containing thanks for tho wireless, which is giving much pleasure to the women and children patients, and also for gifts at Christmas.

Acknowledgment was made of the hamper received from the Wadestown branch.

A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mrs. Peter Fraser (official visitor to the Mental Hospital), who kindly attended tbe meeting, anil gave a very interestirg talk to tho members.