CHURCH ARMY WORKS.

Shannon News, 17 December 1926, Page 2

CHURCH ARMY WORKS.

(To the Editor). Sir,—New Zealand gave 6000 dinners last year to poor children of the Motherland; we hope to do as much - this year A little boy from Southwark, London, wrote this letter of thanks: "To New Zealand children and friends, we had plenty of beef and vegetables, stewed xrrit, custard, buiis. oranges, and crackers. After dinner, singing, Punch and Judy, and game;."" The proceeds; of black wool so generously given by farmers to help in educating the children of sojdiers' and sailors who fell fighting for the Empire, provides a part of the £SOOO which the Church Army raises annually for this work over and above the Government subsidy. The Prime Minister of England, at the last annual meeting of the C.A. said: "Their activities were innumerable,." Here are a few:' 847,000 beds to men or women in our labour homes; 200.000 fro; dinners; 100,000 visits to prisoners; 714 destitute women or girls rescued; 4931 weeks' holiday for 2400 poor women and children. These figures are for one year only of the 45 years of the social work of the Army. The' Church Army is working in Aus tralia. Canada, Jamaica, America, and now in New Zealand. On September 8, 1926, the commencement was made in New Zealand, when Captain B> P. Ball, C.A., was authorised to act as an evangelist here by the Bishop of Waiapu. The Anglican Church does its duty quietly, and does not go round to members of other churches asking for assistance (although gratefully received when given), knowing that each has its own Christian work to finance. It is not generally known that Anglicans are doing more social work than all the nonRoman denominations put together. If Anglicans realised this, and the cost of it all, I feel sure that some of the generous gifts they make to other societies to enable them to do the very work their own church is doing, and desires to do more extensively, would be given to her for her homes and other social work. We also, desire to extend the evangelistic work now commenced by Capt. Ball. Donations marked "Social Work" or ether purpose will be gladly received by the Diocesan secretary, Box 227, Na pier, or by the Church Army secretary, Box 20, Ormondviile. P.S.: Donations for Christmas dinners can be sent to Ormondviile until December 20, 1926. The first £IOO was sent home on November 9. F. W. WHIBLEY, The Vicarage. Ormondviile.