Aili Korpi, Aino Jarvi, Mrs. Matt Johnson, Lempi Hill and Kerttu Larson. Later, they held a very successful `baby shower' which brought in a great quantity of new infants' clothing.

"Attendance at our meetings was unusually good - on the 6th of February, for example, 82 women were present. Plans to raise money were ever the order of the day. On 20 February, the Women's Division was able to send $300 to Minister Procope to be forwarded to Finland, and on 5 March 330 pieces of children's clothing were sent to Helsinki to be distributed by the Lotta Svärd, and on 19 March 125 pairs of socks knitted by the women of Duluth were sent to the Lotta Svärd offices in Oulu in northern Finland. Shipments of clothing were sent to New York twice a week. Attempts were made to fulfill all kinds of demands, and so children's underclothing, blankets, flannel, thread, soap were included in various shipments.

"In April 1941 the flood of goods was at its peak. That month saw 68 packages sent by individuals to Suomen Huolto, quantities of food and soap, and 2,252 pounds of clothing.

"For more than ten years the Women's Division remained active in its Finnish aid program. The cash outlays required were always large, for freight on each shipment to New York ranged from $40 to $70, so that money had to be raised continually to permit the work to proceed. In addition, it financed the purchase of food, coffee, sugar, dried fruits, fat, seeds, new clothing, cloth, shoes. Shipments were made to the Suomen Huolto, to orphanages, to the League for War Invalids, to the blind, to the Mannerheim League for Children, to the Miina Sillanpää Orphanage, to the Lotta Svärd, hospitals, homes for the aged. In addition, 846 packages were sent to individuals. A total of 18,976 pounds of goods was shipped before the Women's Division terminated its activity in 1950."

The Finnish women of West Duluth had their own aid organization, with Saara Järvi serving as chairman and Ester Pellinen as secretary. Their work, by and large, followed the same pattern as that of the Duluth women.

To return to the developments in the winter of 1939-40, the fund-raising drive of the General Relief Committee soon grew so extensive that it became necessary to have a full-time, salaried executive secretary, which Elmer Saari became. Contributions came by no means from the Finns alone, for everyone supported the drive; for example, the State Federation of Italian-American Clubs authorized their affiliates to collect funds for Finland

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