NEW BABIES' HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20465, 17 January 1930, Page 16

NEW BABIES' HOME.

A STORY OF YOUNG MEN.

The following story comes from a Melbourne source, and is particularly interesting as giving account of a rather infrequent happening, states a Wellington exchange. There was a party of young men who interested themselves in the poor in tho Melbourne slums. Again and again they came upon neglected and destitute babies, and finding it difficult to place these when there was no chance of their own folk being able to do better for them, tliey conceived tlie idea of getting a home specially for the "littlest ones. They did not want to make a public appeal, but to do something themselves. That was four years ago, and during that time they have worked steadily toward their objective—a real home for the little ones. They liavo interested other young men in the project; they travelled about tho country when on holiday, giving lectures with lantern slides to show the necessity of making such provision; money came in slowly but surely, and in two years they were able to buy a two-acre ijlock on tho banks of the Yarra near Melbourne. There they planned to build a home. With continued effort the grand climax came, and the, foundation-stono was laid for a home to take 100 babies, and one nearby for 30 nurses. In December last these were triumphantly opened, equipped and all, at a cost of £27,000 and free of debt! The young men who accomplished this great and really wonderful work are all members of tho Methodist Church and the Y-M.C.A. They have all contributed to the homes, some, ™ho are not at all well off, giving as small a sum as threepence .a week —others according to their means, while tho country districts sent in money, one branch as much as £3OO each year. Thero were about 10,000 people at the opening of the homes.