FOOD FOR SMETHWICK

Opunake Times, 26 October 1948, Page 2

FOOD FOR SMETHWICK

PARCELS RECEIVED LETTEES OF THANKS Several letters of thanks have been received by the R.S.A. and citizens or groups >n recent weeks, hut probably no letter conveys greater proof of - the value and real pleasure wlricli the food- parcels bryig to aged residents ■of Smethwick, than this one which we now reprint; "I tender my very grateEul thanks for the very ' useful vgiffc of food which has reached viae through your generosity. I have had the greatest pleasure in ae cepting this from you and feel very proud to belong to the same Commonwealth as yourselves; I should like specialty to make mention of the Farmers Co-op who were mentioned on your card as sponsors, and desire to convey to their staff, through you, my sincerest gratification for their kind thoughts in supplying the means for your, association to carry out this good work. Mr. Sockett. who is the organiser of distribution here has also merited a mention by tae fact that for one brief afternoon, last Sunday 26/9/48, he allowed me to assist in the distribution of GO of these parcels., .it did me good, and would kav£ done you. had you seen the expression upon the faces, of those aged people we visited, change through the varying stages, of irritability, surprise and pleasuie. I will agree that a Sunday afternoon i& not possibly the best time to wake anyone up from a nap but when these people knew what we were visiting them for, their pleasure and gratification knew no bounds. We took photographs of some of them and if they turn out alright, I#under- . stand Mr. Sockett is forwarding prints on to you. I should like to make mention that the average age of the 60 recipients' was 79.9 years, the youngest being 66 and the eldest 94. I should like .to know if any of your members would care to receive from me here an English newspaper at any time, and if they will forward me their address I will" endeavour to oblige." Yours Gratefully, William Ewart Martin. We quote from another letter .'from Mr. Will G. Campbell, 40 Hall Ed., Smethwick, who has a wife and twin daughters- (Doreen and Cynthia aged 21): "It is grand to think that people like yourselves who have never seen us, have the kindness of heart to. take the trouble and expense to send a little bit of pleasure into our home; it was a great thrill." Another letter of appreciation sent to Messrs. Opunake Times, E. Pickering, D. Clement and P. Harding was received from Mrs. A. ' Wkitekou&e, 12 Taylor's Lane, who stated that her mother (the recipient) was* 78 years and crippled with athritis.