CHRISTMAS CHEER.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2618, 13 November 1915, Page 3

CHRISTMAS CHEER.

Dear Sir, —Last year meals were given on Christmas Day to 6000 of tho London poor, and Belgian refugees, the money for which had been sent to London to arrive during the Christmas week from funds generously given for tlie purposo to tho Now Zealand secretary of the Church Army, residing at Weber. After 12 months of war, the need is greater than at first, for tlio Poles and Serbians aro in as great distress now as tho Belgians were. tlion. Now Zealanders have helped in so many ways that it is with very great diffidence'that I make this appeal. Yet I am sure tho patriotism of each is stirred when the heroic deeds of our boys' are read out,' and wo feel we would like to do as much as possible lor them, and for thoso of our Allies, who aro losing their homes and all that makes homo doar. Christmas Day— that day of good fellowship—is near. Shall wo- show such goodwill as last year, and provide me<ils on that day for —say, 10,000? By sending 160 I»stal notes of 53. or 80 for 10s. or 40* for' £1, representing the' self-douial' of families willing to give up something of their usual Christmas cheer for charity and for tho sake of Jesus Christ, an amount could be raised, which, in the skilful hands of the Church Army would multiply to the feeding of 10,000 people, and bring 'a ray of sunshine into 10,000 hearts made dark and sad by the awfulness of war. Good, thick soup tmd' bread twice a day will be given in exchange for a Id. bread ticket which' has itself been given to those needing help, by the police or from the Churoh Army rescue homes. In this, and other liko ways tho Church Army spends £250,000 ' a year on its various philanthropic works, nearly all from voluntary subscriptions, to which New Zealand lias added its mite each year sincti 1910 from tho Weber district. , Tho kindly people of New Zealand will, 1 ain sure, again help to givo brightness to the oppressed on the great day of brotherhood, the memory of which, as it will be prompted by the divine law of love, will help to enable all to spend a "ilerry Christmas." —I am, etc., F. W. WHIBLEY, Hon. Sec. Church Army in N.Z. Tho Vicarage, Weber. P.S. —Amounts received up to December 19 will bo cabled Homo on that date.' ■