“The
Santa Claus fund, which is being raised and handled by the members of the east
end police division, was greatly augmented this morning by several handsome
donations.”
Hamilton Spectator December 18, 1914
With Christmas just a week away, the
donations for relief for families in need in east end Hamilton just kept coming
in :
“ A check for 425 from John R.
Beckett, 35 Aikman avenue, a well-known baker; a donation of 22 dozen pairs of
stockings by the Chipman-Holton company, and $25 worth of bread tickets by J.
Hollis, the Cannon street east end baker.
“The bread tickets and the stockings
are being used in connection with the Christmas cheer baskets which are to be
delivered to the various families on the police list the day before Christmas,
while the cash is being used to secure food supplies, etc. for the same
families”1
1 “Santa
Claus Fund Growing : Police Acknowledge Many Generous Gifts : Food and Clothing
Will Be Distributed”
Hamilton Spectator. December 18, 1914.
The above-mentioned donations were
just a small part of what had been received by the Hamilton east end police. So
much had been received, and so much was still arriving, that the police had to
make an updated arrangement to store everything until it was time for
distribution:
“Daily donations of clothes are being
received from various parts of the city, and so heavy has the demand grown on
the police that arrangments are being made to make the Sherman avenue station
the main distribution point for all this.
“Up to the present, private houses
have been used as distribution centers, but it has been decided to make the
station the main depot. For this purpose, several of the ladies’ organizations
in connection with east end churches have gotten together and are making
arrangements for two ladies from each society to take a day in turn at the
station looking after the people as they report there.
“The police round up the cases, which
are investigated by some of the officers and by ladies who are spending a lot
of time at that work, after which the people concerned call at the station for
their relief.”1
The distribution
of the donations, and the need for assistance to do so was described in the
Spectator as follows:
“The east end police have 515 kiddies
on their relief list and 264 families.
“These are being supplied with
clothes, boots, stockings etc., while each family will receive a well-filled
basket for Christmas day. The kiddies will receive, in addition to clothes and
food, toys and other Christmas cheer, all of which have been donated by east
end citizens.
“It is the intention of the police to
deliver the Xmas Cheer baskets on Thursday afternoon of next week. Many
automobile owners have volunteered their services for the afternoon, and the
police would be pleased to learn of others owning automobiles or rigs who would
be willing to assist in the delivery of baskets.”1
(To Be Continued!!)
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