The Nazis realised that they had to provide some social welfare. In 1933 they set up the National Socialist People’s Welfare (NSV), which divided the ‘needy’ into those who ‘deserved’ help and those who did not. It ran Mother and Child programmes, provided crèches and kindergartens, provided housing, and ran a yearly Winter Aid programme, distributing food and clothing parcels and running soup kitchens. RM2 million had been donated a day after its launch, but it was hard to refuse to contribute. Many people viewed the NSV officials and volunteers as Nazi ‘snoopers’.