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Meals on Wheels:

This very good service started from the Foxton Maternity Hospital in 1972.

At first the number or recipients was 12 but gradually expanded as need grew.

Mrs Margaret Donnelly was the convenor since inception of the drivers' roster, and did not at any time have any major problems regarding volunteers to deliver meals.

In time, the kitchen facilities were found to be inadequate and unhygienic, and reconstruction of the area was contemplated.

A letter of explanation and a proposal of plans for an update of the kitchen were instigated by Sister Honore.

In 1972 a part time kitchen hand was hired to prepare the vegetables, wash the dishes and keep the vegetable cupboard and the milk box at the roadside gate clean.

The meals on wheels service began to increase in 1973 from 16 to 25 clients. By 1980 the client number had risen to 29. The service then settled down to around 20 people receiving meals daily.


Ante-natal Classes

Sister Phyl Lash writes:

When I started at the Foxton Maternity Home in 1949 larger families were in vogue!

The depression years were still having an effect and many mothers were not able to because of distance, lack of money or transport etc, visit a doctor more than once to confirm pregnancy and to continue check-ups.

District Nurses, often on their visits for other reasons, would notice obviously pregnant ladies and make sure they booked in for delivery. This was the norm in the 1950's.

My concern was such that, with the doctors' co-operation in 1965 on a voluntary basis, and in spite of a refusal from the hospital board to assist, (with advertising, salaries, and hiring of a hall,) I started limited ante-natal classes.

The Plunket Society assisted with offering free use of rooms, and raised money with coffee mornings for me to buy books. This continued until 1972 when, with Sister Jeffrey's enthusiasm and the board's approval, ante-natal classes became official. Also, finally, with prompting from Sister Jeffrey's, the authorities agreed that I be paid for all the time and effort given to these lectures and classes.

I had lots of success with encouraging young Maori women to attend and in 1975 the first Maori father came along, and he so enjoyed his experience, that from then on it became the accepted thing, and at the last class in 1982, the majority of participants in that class were young Maori couples.

Classes grew over the years. First classes averaged two or four women, and the last class had 17 women attend.


Thank you to: Mrs Phyl Lash

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Date
2005

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