Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

informed the mind and touched the emotions, thus making the public willing to contribute to worthy causes. In this way Bro. Evert was of very material assistance 290 FEEDING THE HUNGRY in sending help to Central Europe through the Friends Service Committee in France, Belgium and Germany; and later through our own representatives in Central Europe, as related in another chapter, where we deal with relief activities of the American Mennonites in Austria, Ger- many, Poland and other central European countries. But where his greatest individual service was rendered, was in connection with the filling out of applications for food- drafts for the famine stricken people of Russia. As soon as the arrangements had been completed be- tween the American Relief Administration and the Soviet Government for this method of sending help to individ- uals, Bro. Evert had all the information, and acquainted the public with the same, who took an immediate interest from the beginning, because the heart and mind of the American Mennonite had been prepared through the orgies of the war, the good prices and good crops, but more so by the reports of the intense suffering abroad. Thousands were willing to spend ten dollars for the needy but did not know how to go about ordering a food pack- age. It required a knowledge of both the English and the Russian languages to completely fill out one of the food-draft applications. As a result very many of those living in the central states and especially those who knew of Bro. Evert’s ability in this matter turned to him for help. So it happened that the very modest home of this invalid with his brother, and a very aged mother, became the Mecca of thousands of such as wished to take advan- tage of the food-draft method of sending food to friends and relatives in Russia. Many who were too far away to call in person, sent their money and their addresses by mail, all of which were taken care of as promptly as possible. When requests from the needy in Europe began to come in, a veritable deluge of food-draft applications poured forth from Bro. Evert’s home. FOOD AND CLOTHING REMITTANCES 291 One of the greatest difficulties in connection with the food-draft work was to locate the persons to whom the request had been sent. Many of the thousands in Russia who asked for help did not know the addresses of their relatives. In such cases the cards were packed together by our Mr. Miller in Moscow and sent to Bro. Evert in Hillsboro, in the hope that his large acquaintance and untiring efforts would enable him to locate the persons sought. In this work very valuable service was also ren- dered by Rev. J. F. Harms, who, though old in years, worked with untiring energy in cooperation with Bro. Evert to provide food and raiment for the brethren abroad by means of the food remittances. The number of applications thus taken care of by Bro. Evert and his assistants, soon amounted t