Caring for the Brothers’ Physical Needs

Jehovah’s organization acted quickly to provide assistance to God’s people in Europe. Nathan Knorr and Milton Henschel from world headquarters visited the Witnesses to assess their needs. During the months of November and December 1945, they went to England, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Brother Knorr reported, “Here we saw the devastation of the war on the continent for the first time.”

Brother Knorr did not receive permission to enter Germany at that time. However, Erich Frost, who oversaw the organization’s branch office in Germany, made his way out of the country to meet with him.b “Brother Knorr gave us practical advice and promised material help in the form of food and clothing,” reported Erich. “Soon, huge shipments of flour, fat, oatmeal, and other foods arrived in Germany. The brothers in foreign lands also sent large boxes of clothes, including suits, underwear, and shoes.” These supplies were received with tears of gratitude. Moreover, “this aid program was not a onetime effort,” says a report. “Relief shipments continued for two and a half years!”c