Figure 1.--Here we see the clothing section of the store. We are not sure just what garment mother is gettingbfor the boy. You can see one of the volunteers in the background. At the time there were not a lot of stores operating. And the refugees had little money for clothes. We are not entiurely sure about payment. We think ar first the clothing was given away.

As the refugees began to return to Picardy, no shops were open to buy anything. There were no bakeries operating--very important in France. The returning refgees needed just about everything. This included the very basics sych as needlesm,thread, and thimbles. Clothing was an important item. The Committee asigned one of the volnteers to run the shop, but she also had a village asigned. The Comittee set up a store where the population could obtain needed items and clothing. The emphasis was on children's clothes, including shoes. This is onr reason whu many of the children in the available photogrphic record seem so well dressed. In the destruction there were few no operating shops. Many of the refugees had to walk considerable distabnces to get to the shops, but they also made deliveries. We do not hve detils on payment. At first the situation was so desperate that items were given away and then gradually sold at partial prices. Government payments to war victims helped.

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Created: 3:18 PM 3/5/2021
Last updated: 3:19 PM 3/5/2021