# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1318
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

846 MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

through whom more than 750 tons were sent to Europe in bulk
form. Eventually an eleven-pound clothing package was also sent
abroad, in fashion very similar to the eleven-pound food package.
This was done primarily because it was a more personal way of
giving, more practical, and more distributable to various sections
of Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, and France
By 1947 the Emergency Planning Council was sending clothing
packages regularly every two months to thousands of needy people
to orphanages, to refugees, to American chaplains, for distribution
to youth centers, to congregations, and to wherever naked and ill-
clad bodies begged for a little clothing wherewith to keep warm
In all, 21,000 families living in many different countries, not just
Germany, were recipients of our eleven-pound clothing packages,
Combining the eleven-pound clothing packages and other bulk
clothing shipments, a total of 614,189 pounds, or 307 tons, were
sent during the years 1947—1949.

Because of the high cost of postage the eleven-pound cloth:
ing packages were discontinued in April of 1948. Since ‘then
mostly Church World Service facilities have been used. Because
Church World Service has a large regional clothing depot in
Webster Groves, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis, the Emergency Plan-
ning Council clothing shipments in bulk were continued with little
or no interruption.

It is, of course, impossible to itemize the various types of
clothing sent to Europe during the last three years. Most of it
was used clothing, reconditioned before distribution abroad. A
number of shipments included also such special items as 6,500
new children’s shoes, 700 fur-lined caps, 10,000 surplus army
blankets, ministerial gowns, bicycle tires, 1,300 woolen under-
garments.

However, whatever the shipments contained, this is certain,
every pound of clothing, whether new or old, was appreciated and
cherished by those to whom it was sent. Tens of thousands of
letters, most of them carefully filed in our office, testify to the
good accomplished by this phase of our Church’s relief work.

Child Feeding Program

Since 1934 religious training for children had been taboo in
Germany. During the war years the child was neglected more
than ever. Father was at war; Mother worked in ammunition fac-
tories. Since the war, little enough, because of the pressing need
for reconstruction or other things, has been done for orphaned
or wayward, forsaken children. Only through American help have
German Lutheran churches been able to make any kind of progress
along these lines in the past few years.

MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS 847

Already in 1946 the need to help Europe’s unfortunate, inno-
t children was realized by the Emergency Planning Council.
By means of a “silent campaign” among the membership of Synod
$450,000 was contributed toward a child-feeding program. As
E this child-feeding program gained momentum, the Emergency Plan-
‘ning Council bought additional foodstuffs—twenty carloads of
‘cereals, two carloads of oranges, truckloads of soups and other
F necessary foodstuffs. Every year this program grew in proportions.
And each year a greater number of young lives have been saved
; from starvation. Present plans call for a continuation of the child-
E feeding program in the Eastern Zone only, where $75,000 will be
E- expended this year.

Orphanages
3 The L. W.M.L. began its work among the European orphan-
We ages in July, 1945, and only recently has diverted its League
MF projects into other mission channels. What great good their Chris-
F tian efforts have accomplished only God knows. Our estimate can
E only be gauged by the thousands of letters received from various
orphanages supported by the L.W.M.L. These letters, often
written by children in their childish scrawl, bring “Thank you’s” .
#. for that which has been done by the ladies of our Church.
Ea The L. W.M.L. with its 100,000 members has put forth valiant
® efforts by furnishing layettes, children’s clothing, medical kits,
- children’s prayer books, toys, and money to the orphaned children
*, in Europe. Among the recipients of the ladies’ beneficence was
“ an orphanage in Bagband; three in Heidelberg-Wolfschlucht, Wal-
desruh, Koenigstuhl; an orphanage near Munich; one in Berlin;
a children’s home near Giessen; Sperlingshof orphanage; a small
orphanage near Paris; two orphanages in Poland; and one in Fin-
land.
During Christmas of 1947 and 1948 the L: W.M.L. in con-
’ junction with all of Synod’s congregations put forth a special
effort under the name of “100,000 Bundles for Christmas” to gather
toys, clothing, trinkets, and other items for the needy children of
Europe. Not only orphanages, but also children’s hospitals, schools,
and Sunday schools were the recipients of these gifts.

Adoption Program

Already in the early stages of the Emergency Planning Coun-
cil’s help to Europe, Synod’s members were encouraged to assist
families abroad in their plight and to send regular monthly or
bimonthly food packages. This idea gained many adherents, and
before long thousands of our people requested the Emergency
Planning Council headquarters for names of European. families.
Our representatives in the Free Churches of Germany furnished