Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-03-18
Associated Charities,
THE WORK DONE SINCE THE
SOCIETY WAS ORGANIZED
LAST DECEMBER.

THE WORK DONE SINCE tn
SOCIETY WAS ORGANIZED
i LAST DECEMBER.
Estate OF THE SOCIETY
The managers of the Associated Char
ties held meeting last evening, whe
the following report was presented b.
MIR. Massey
Interesting and valuable fact
have been gathered from the individua
visitors report, which will give som
Idea of the extent and character of tn
work from the time we opened on De
Gem ber 22d, 1884, to March LIST, 1885
! About 1000 families have applied I,
the Associated Charities for relief. O
these, 4S5 white families, representing
,9OS persons, and 1888 colored families
representing s33 persons, have received
substantial relief. 1t will be seen BY
this that total aggregate of 9, TAI souls
OF which /, 345 were adults, and 1886
ch ildren, have been faithfully visited
and kindly relieved through the In.
strumentality Of this association, and
the various societies and institutions
which have no cordially and closely CO.
operated Win us.
Through such cooperation we believe
a vast amount Of duplicate and mis-
chievous almsgiving has been prevent.
cd. In addition to the relief given
directly from this office 298 families
have received aid from the Provident
Society and 100 families have been as
sisted by the Female Benevolent 30
ciety. There we're l47 families kindly
cared for by churches and other insti-
tutions, while fifteen families were
referred to the Trustees of tie Poor,
and thlrty-six families to private per.
SONS.
A large number of families which
were at first supposed to be deserving
have, upon further investigation
proven to be unworthy, so that 1Oi
applicants have been reported az unde-
serving. There were eighty.one cases
reported AZ not requiring relief, because
they had sufficient income TO keep them
from suffering, if It were properly
used. This is the class which applies
because their neighbors get help and
they think they may ~ we'll have a
share while there is chance The num-
Der reported as giving false add resses
was forty lone.
In addition to the employment given
through the Provident and Female
Benevolent Societies (Which require
their applicants to do small amount of
sewing for what they receive) work
has been found for seventy five cases.
We have sent some men with their
families to the country. Some women
with small children have likewise gone
as houseservants to the country. A con-
Nj hla har af hnl l.
and women have been placed AZ ser
new rink at Fourth and Washington
streets and of the Kennebee Ice and
Coal Company relieved the societyto a
considerable o, tent by furnishing en-
ployment to what men they could some
twenty five or thirty all told.
Thus IL will be seen that something
has been accomplished, even In these
depressed times, toward carrying out
one of the leading objects of the society;
that Of making employment the basis
OF relief. Since the society Was organ
lied l03 families have, by finding EN-
ploy ment, become at least temporarily
The kindly notices of
the public press in advertising us as q
labor bureau has been of much assis.
tance to us in this direction. In fact,
the society Is greatly indebted 10 the
various newspapers Of the city Chose
powerful moulders of of public opinion
tor NO frequently and favorably bring
ing our work before the people. 1t is
an should ever be our aim to make a
strong organization, worthy of public
because without this our
work must sooner or later dwindle and
fail.
In their work of friendly visitation,
which has occupied much of their tim.
the ladies' have made 3, ,679 visits (manY
of them at long distances from their
own homes) and have written 3l9 let
ters on behalf of the poor.
1t il difficult to ascertain the true
cause of distress in all cases. There is
little doubt. however, but that intem-
perance enters as a factor into more
cases of poverty and pauperism, az well
AZ crime, than any other one cause
Tho chairman in one of the worst dis.
tricts of the city says: "Intemperance
is the chief cause of most of the present
distress"
In 182 families sickness is assigned as
a cause of distress, in thirty.two of
which the Associated Charities furnish
ed medical attendance through u num-
Der of physicians who kindly volun
teered 70 attend the cases, the Associated
Charities in number of cases supply
ing the medicines. One chairman
writes son reviewing our winter's
work we can but feel that much time
and means have been expended on many
improyident and shiftless people, who
depend upon charity during the winter
season from year to year" As an
aviHanpa of
shiftlessness are given AZ a reason tor
poverty in 1856 families. This same
report says further
The greater proportion Of this
improvident class in this district AT,
colored people, and how to improve
this state OF things is a problem. But
there are exceptions even among tie
colored people, and it has been q real
pleasure TO administer to the wants of
some of them. One young visitor
prefers this class and enjoys her visits
TO an appreciative colored family. One
worthy man in one section was brought
low by fever, and to save An extra fire
he lays IN the kitchen for weeks, his
patient wife with her babe occupying
chairs for a bed. The visitor has been
everything to this family, attending
upon them in all weather. Carrying
and aid OF many kinds;
and she reports that, although the
family are passing through such trials,
a marked change has taken place In the
Ofthe house."
Another chairman writes: "Con.
sdering the size of this district, the
number helped is large, but when wei
remember want of employment has
been the chief cause of need, we are en-.
couraged. In some cases our visitors
have been discouraged on account of
being deceived. In others we are
greatly encouraged, tor as soon as EN-.