PORIRUA HOSPITAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 280, 29 November 1935, Page 11

PORIRUA HOSPITAL

GREAT PERSONAL SERVICE BEV. ME. HABDING’S VISITS. (Extract from Evening Post.) For the past six years the Rev. A. Harding, of Karoa Road, Lower Hutt, has voluntarily undertaken the work of visiting and cheering the patients in the Porirua Mental Hospital. Every few days Mr. Harding pays a visit to the institution, and each third Sunday in the mouth ho tak-es a party of friends who give a cheerful programme to as many of the inmates as can be accommodated in the dining-room, which is th© only room at present available for this purpose. Each Christmas special visits are made, and gifts, in the form of small pacrels, are distributed as far as possible among the inmates. The first of such distributions took place recently when a party of about 50 visited the hospital. One of the party acting as Father Christmas, distributed over 400 parcels, in addition to fruit. Mr. Harding, and Miss Knight, of Lower Hutt, have presented the institution with an electric radio set in memory of Mrs. Harding (Mr. Harding’s wife) and Mrs. Knight (mother of Miss Knight). The gifts were highly appreciated by the patients. A second distribution will take place next Sunday and Mr. Harding would be grateful for small donations in money or kind to assist in this work. He will also be grateful to those who can from time to time place cars at his disposal. How much this work is appreciated by the authorities will be seen from the following extract from the Mental Hospital’s report: — 4 ‘To the ministers of religion I am also grateful, for all have been most kind in every way; and, without making invidious distinctions, I should particularly like to thank the Rev. Mr. Harding for the enormous amount of time he devotes to the great deal of cheer he brings to everybody here year after year.” The superintendent, Dr. J. Williams, has forwarded the following letter to Mr. Harding:—“ I would like to take this opportunity of offering my own sincere thanks and those of the staff for all the good work you have done and are doing here. Mr. Ratcliffe enumerated some of the details of your good deeds at your concert yesterday. Enumeration of these, however, hardly conveys adequately the gratitude we really feel. That is bevond words.” this Christmas we require 1000 parcels. .