Britain’s Old and Infirm Helped by NZ Food Parcels

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27042, 29 March 1949, Page 2

Britain’s Old and Infirm Helped by NZ Food Parcels

In.a letter received by the Women’s Institute Executive Committee, Dunedin, Mrs J. H. Puckle, president of the Bishop's Castle Women’s Institute, England writes: "At our last monthly meeting we listened to a talk given by Jane Bennett Evans. She went to New Zealand last year through the Young Farmers’ Association, and saw many interesting people and places. We wanted her to talk about people like ourselves, Which she did, most enthusiastically, and she made us long to know you better. One thing she talked about touched us very deeply, and that was the sacrifices you make, and the trouble you are taking, to help us out of our difficulties. We have made inquiries since that talk and find that quantities of food come into tills area, and it is distributed to the' old and infirm people, particularly those who live alone. " We had not heard about it, but I think that many of those old folk do not get in touch with anyohe except their immediate neighbours. I know that a friend of mine in the local Food Office says that, though they are delighted with their parcels they cannot bring themselves to attempt the great work of writing a letter of thanks. They do not write letters anyway and probably think they would make a very bad job of it! So all we can do is to say ‘ Thank You ’ for them and we do so with the deepest gratitude. Old and infirm people, particularly if they live alone, do find life very hard now, but the rest of us can get along pretty well, especially as the lower standard of living is universal, so it is the same for all of us. We were spoilt before the war. " The result of your generosity is going where it is needed most, and we all feel that it would be a good thing if the whole country knew more about it.”