BRITISH FOOD PARCELS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 75, Issue 6394, 11 July 1947, Page 4

BRITISH FOOD PARCELS

LETTER OF GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT UNDELIVERED PARCELS SENT TO FLOOD SUFFERERS The following letter has been received by the Te Awamutu Red Cross Society from the Caversham branch of the Reading Division of the British Red Cross Sociey:— “ During the recent floods here in Caversham the Red Cross had sent to them, through our headquarters in London, many parcels which for reasons unknown to us had not been delivered. These parcels came from all over the world, and, because their real owners could not be found, were given as relief food parcels. I was one of the organisers for this district, and I know with what joy and thankfulness they were received. All parcesl were unpacked; the one containing the enclosed card was unpacked by me. As a Red Cross officer of one country to another I felt I must write to tell you what you may have been wondering—what had become of your parcel sent so long ago. I can assure you that the contents went to either an aged or ill person who had suffered in the floods. These people have had food such as had not been seen here for many years; I think we have almost forgotten there were so many good things to be had. We certainly get enough to eat, but there are times when we long for something a little different. I am sure it would surprise all the good people who send parcels if they could see with what delight all this good food was received. So much has been sent from New Zealand and Australia, and all flood victims those with whom I have had to do —are more than grateful. But it made me a lithe sad, when dealing with all those undelivered parcels, to see with what love and care they were packed, and I just wondered what could have happened to the folk to whom they were sent.

“The British Red Cross has done a splendid work during these very difficult times. Hundreds of tons of food and clothes have been given to those who lost nearly everything, and still things coming pouring in from the colonies, and we are grateful beyond words.

“ Naturally, I am terribly interested in the work of your own Red Cross? and if you ever feel like writing I shall be so pleased to hear from you. Our work is of a very extensive nature. Apart from actual nursing, our members’ staffs clinics of every kind do welfare work, both service and civil, visit old people in their homes, do their work, get their pensions and shopping, and take them for drives, and run clubs for the able-bodied old people. Our younger members look after sick and crippled children in the same way. Our sick and disabled soldiers are cared for at home, and rehabilitation centres are staffed. Wie run convalescent homes for soldiers, tired mothers, and the aged and children, and also for our own nurses; we run libraries and canteens and shops. I think we do most things to try to benefit others. Our members are kept very busy. The sad part is we have not enough to do all there is to do. “ To go back to floods: people are beginning to get their homes in order again, but everyone feels so disheartened; household goods are so difficult to get to replace those lost, and the women are so tired—the conditions are so depressing. Pool souls ! —they have to wait so long in queues for their meagre rations of everything, and with all the shortages life is not rosy at the moment; but everybody is very brave and cheerful.”