THE CHURCHES AND CHARITABLE RELIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21578, 25 February 1932, Page 12

THE CHURCHES AND CHARITABLE RELIEF

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —In one of your news paragraphs you report words used at the New Zealand Methodist Conference regarding the attitude of that church to unemployment relief. The report states: “ While relief generally may be regardful in the light of a palliative we dare not withhold.it.” Now, Sir, the churches have a unique chance of getting into touch with cases of hardship that do not come before the gaze of the general public. I am convinced more could be done. I know the work of the deaconesses of the churches. Silently. but steadily are these brave women toiling on without publicity and many a family can thank God for what has been done so kindly and sympathetically for them. But the churches must unite before the winter comes to attempt to keep families from having to go to the depots. Here is a suggestion. Suppose each church wisely selected some families and made the welfare of those families their special care. I recognise that something like this is being done. Each church has its special cases where help is given, but this would be more than that. The families selected would be kept off the general funds of the depots. Of course, unemployment work would be sought as usual, but there would be a security that the wives and children were cared for. Some weeks no help might be needed. Those in charge could become the counsellors of the families helped, and so the pride and self-respect of these needy ones would be preserved. Say there are 60 churches in and around the city, and on an average each church kept four families. We would thus soon account for 240 families. Of course, each church would at first naturally select some within its own fold, but by careful planning the work could be arranged efficiently. At present some of the workers feel that methods are very slip-shod and that donations are given here and there without much system. Could not the president of the Council of Christian Churches summon a conference to which each congregation would send two delegates? Where there’s the will, there’s the way. It would be a wonderful thing to know that throughout the trying days of winter between 200 and 300 families were safe from want. This would relieve the general funds. I commend the scheme to the churches, and if no one will take the lead in calling the conference, perhaps the Mayoress might do so. But men must not” shirk and put all on the shoulders of the women. —I am, etc., System:.