relief. The goods were shipped by rail to the New York headquarters of Help Finland, and reaching Finland, they were distributed to needy persons by the Finnish organization Suomen Huolto, together with the Quaker relief committee. The Quakers and Help Finland later reimbursed Kyyhkynen for the big sum of money which he had personally advanced. He and A. W. Havela, also of Duluth, shared the expenses of shipping these goods to New York."

To return to the activity begun in 1939, a meeting of all Finns was held on 19 December at the FAAC hall. That meeting unanimously decided to aid the General Relief Committee in raising funds and clothing. A committee of ten was chosen: John Antila, Isaac Hill, Helen Kane, David Kuuri, Thure Laiho, Eino Larson, Isaac Pelto, Elmer Stonewall, Jallu Suominen and Armas Vanhala. This decision was unique, for it joined all the Finns of Duluth, excepting the Communists, to a joint cause, the aid for Finland program.

Support to this new committee was prompt, and in its first week it managed to raise several thousand dollars, which was for warded to Finland via the Finnish Red Cross. Meetings and fund-raising drives were arranged. Newspapers explained the activities which had been started and urged all their readers to help. On 22 November 1939 a group of Duluth women met at the home of Martta Harpet to start their own group to aid Finland. They called themselves the Women's Division, and Martta Harpet was chosen chairman, Sofia Kyyhkynen secretary, and Naimi Rahko treasurer. This group undertook to appeal to all Finnish women to contribute aid, especially to collect clothing, to be sent to Finland. From the beginning of December the members took turns being present every day to receive contributions, and a times they were busy even on Sundays. Sofia Kyyhkynen has described the overall activity as follows: "We women had no idea how demanding our work would become. Piles of clothing began to come in, but no money. Then, to our delight, Saima Syverson gave us a large painting she had done; that was raffled off, and with the money we first bought yarns for knitting mittens and socks, and with the rest Lois Bakkila and I went to the various stores and factories to buy remnants of materials for clothing. "In the meeting of 9 January 1940 it was announced that the FAAC women had started a group among themselves to make layettes, which the Red Cross sent on to Finland. The women who started this group were Lydia Lake, Rauha Vanhala, Ellen Mattson, Vivi Ahola, Tyyne Joki, Hilda Isackson, Katri Koski,

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