BED CROSS ACTIVITIES.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 20, 9 October 1930, Page 7

BED CROSS ACTIVITIES.

LOWER HUTT BRANCH

We havo to acknowledge with thanks gifts'of clothing^ food and small sums amounting to 6/6 from the following:— Mesdames Lauehlan;- Haekett, Leslie, •Wood, Fear, Gunn, Fowler, Norris, Packhard, Barker, -Rennor, Lady Bell; Lady Egberts, Mrs. Hoggard (Days Bay), Messrs Foster, . Cunninghanie, Brailsford, Fowlds, Miller, Berry, Lindsay andD.Uß.can.

The applications continue to increase, and some who- have benefitted largely in the past, arc no.\v having in justice .to stand aside for others who have not Ixeard of :us, or not eared to come, until now,;?, but A\^^..j)vithont !iro iv the most dire [need oho* can imagine. Five layettes are .wanted urgently, part of the cost of ivhieh we hope to raise again by another guessing competition on.a taiblccloth kindly donated for the rpurpOse by Messrs George and George, Petone.

It being springtime, one wonders if planting it and duly watering it, would cause it to produce five layettes1? Strictly speaking, it belongs to the vegetable -kingdom, being the product of flax, and if it knew its importance and duty, might recreate itself, arid duly multiply and replenish, not the earth, 'but our .empty Stock's nest.

We lia-yo hud soinc men's clofeb.es at Jast, which reminds nic that the donors were le£t out of my list. Mesdanies Barton, Jarman and Austin, and shirts from.. Lady RoTbents. We had a pathetic case of three homeless childxefa, iboys from eight to li years/ as near to nakedness as a few: flimsy rags would let them be, but could do .nothing here. We are hoping to make an .^arrangement with 'headquarters to fix them up, but so much is going out all the tinio that these things, though so urgent, have to be considered by the authorities. Already the small band of women on the Committee, assisted by sums amounting to six pounds, have, raised eighteen pounds, and: incidentally, spent nearly nineteen! Wonderful conjuring of ari■tfcrii^ic; mcthinks an auditor would nv^ant to know why. and wftence the shortage is made up by mythical "donations," while we wait for fair weather in port to bring our ship 'home.

Thanks are due to Mr. King (carrier), who, hearing of the canvass for clothes at Petone, volunteered to deliver, after coUeeting, the whole amount to the depot free of charge. We have been- materially helped by t&.e local carriers from the start—Messrs Ciamingham, Mr.Hanna, and Mr Ted King.

Since writing last, we have had an urgent appeal for a discarded high chair, the applicant has sis yomng children, . and is hampered in her work, and at meal times by having no place of. safety off the draughty floor to put the bo/by to pla^, and is getting very weary of feeding it on her lap at meal times. Most mothers will know exactly what that feels like, and maybe one who has saved a chair for sentiment's sake will part with it now. These mothers/ I must add, have the true community spirit. There is much lending and exchanging at times of need amongst them, even nightdresses are loaned pro tern. With thanks to all who are making this work possible.

(Mrs) P. E;~ JOYCE, Secretary, Ladies 7 Auxiliary.