Additions to Victoria Home for Friendless Girls, Invercargill.

White Ribbon, Volume 15, Issue 171, 16 September 1909, Page 6

Additions to Victoria Home for Friendless Girls, Invercargill.

Certain additions have recently been made to the Victoria Memorial Home for Friendless Girls, whereby the usefulness and effectiveness of that philanthropic institution have lieen considerably extended. The new w ing to the present building at the corner of Comm and Tweed streets comprise* three rooms. The largest of of these, the Maternity Ward, is a bright and cheery room, -4 feet hy 20 feet, well ventilated without Wing draughty, and admirably suited for tiie requirements of skilful nursing.

There are three beds in tlie ward, but the apartment is sufficiently roomy to accommodate tight or nine patients, provided, of course, the bed* were there to receive them. Adjoining the larger room, and opening out of it, arc two smaller rooms. One of these is the nurse’s

room, <tii adjunct the lack of which has hitherto Iteen a serious handicap to the Home. The kitchen has Ween repainted throughout with Bun-accord paint which, as every housewife knows, possesses tlit* advantage of Weing washable. The dormitory room in the Home is fitted up with six beds, separately curtained, these being as the n une of the establishment implies, at the disposal of such friendless girls as apply for adinittame. Before the addition was built, this room was also used for nursing, the matron s bedroom adjoining being used for the same purpose. The thoughtful provision of what is called the box-room enables any ease which, in the matron's opinion, calls for isolation, to l*e kept constantly under that lady s supervision, and apart from the other occupants of the dormitory. I’crhaps the most interesting room in the whole building is tin* babies’ nursery. I here were eleven children, all hoys, in the Home at the time of the visit which inspired ihc article. It was just about their feeding time, and the sight of that bevy of newly-wakened babies, all under two years of age, all fat, and happy, and active, sprawling contentedly over the carpet, digging industriously into the recesses <»t the “to, box,” clambering into the ever ready arms of the nurses, or clutching tenaciously at liindlv skirts, uas a memorable experience. No more convincing comment is required concern mg the valuable work which is being carried out by the matron, Nurse l’i\, and her tant, Nurse Ferguson.