Hungarian Americans of Cleveland

Cleveland Press Articles

Send Medicine, Food Packages to Europe Kin

The Cleveland Press, OCT 14 1950

Packages from Cleveland are helping sustain many Hungarian priests and nuns left without means of support by communist suspension of their religious orders, the Rev. Fr. John B. Mundweil of St. Emerich's Catholic Church, 1904 W. 22d St., said today.

Many packages containing food and medicine are sent by St. Emerich's parishioners, 80% of whom were born abroad, Fr. Mundweil said. Many packages are sent by DP priests who have found sanctuary in this country.

Increasingly, relatives in Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia are requesting packages rather than more money from their relatives here.

Alex A. Sajo, druggist at 3824 Lorain Ave., and the Liberty Drug Co., 2703 Lorain Ave., reported almost daily shipments of drugs to the three countries.

Streptomycin is in largest demand overseas, although such old reliables as Vaseline, aspirin, thermometers, liver tablets and sleeping pills are requested.

Sajo said the Romanian government appropriated 20% of every shipment for itself. Thus a bottle of 100 aspirin tablets contains only 80 when it reaches its recipient.