40 HOMELESS CHILDREN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18279, 23 December 1933, Page 4

40 HOMELESS CHILDREN

OARED FOR AT CRECHE PLANS FOR MERRY XMAS Forty homeless children are looking forward to a very merry Christmas at the Hine Materoa'Home‘(Creche). Thy have already had a very happy Christmas tree, and preparations are being made to see that their stockings provide them with some thrilling moments when they awake-at the peep of dawn on Monday, while plenty of nice things at the table later in the day have not been forgotten. (iist)orue people take great interest in this institution for homeless children, and business people and private citizens do all they can in contributing to its upkeep and the happiness of the children, bile Mr. and Airs. \V. Clark. Opou, have taken special interest, which is displayed in a very practical manner. The Cook County Women’s Guild controls the institution. All the help that is given is required, for it is a costly matter to care for the children. The number of inmates remains stationary at about 40, which is the limit to which the home can cater. When a child leaves, there is always another to take its place. The children at present range from one to 14 years, and there are instances of whole families -oeing catered for. . There are eight of one family in the home, and a ninth member is expected shortly; that is not all the family, for another is being cared for elsewhere. Five of another family are among the inmates, while there are other instances of whole families of two and three being at present in the home.

Some of the children spend practically the whole of their childhood at the Heni Materoa Home, which is quite a pleasant place, well situated close to the beach, enabling plenty of bathing. The children are well cared for and properly trained by an efficient staff, which mothers them as much as in their power. Under Alatron Smale’s direction, one ot the staff attends to the cooking, another has the boys as her responsibility and a third the girls, and they are planning now to give their little charges the happiest Christmas, that is in Their power.