Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-08-29
A CHRISTIAN HOME
For sclfsupporting Women in Des
Moines.

tue lHouSntlui, Snrlstian women OF
Des Moines the need OF some place
where self-supporting women and
young girls can at moderate prices
obtain comfortable rooms, with we'll
cooked. healthy food, and II overtaken
by sickness receive kind, motheriy at
tentlon.
So many young girls and women,
too, leave good country homes to earn
their own support--coming into Des
Moines in hopes OF receiving large
remuneration ut once for their labor
but their expectations are seldom
realized and they find themselves
almost alone, with purses too slender
for our high-priced boarding houses,
they sometimes drift--''rhe Dear
Father" only knows where! Ii IL TO
save from such temptation and sorrow;
the good, pure women who come to
US, seeking honest labor, that we want
to hold wide open the door OF our
Christian home. We want the young
ladies who find employment in our
stores to make their home with us,
instead OF walking long distances
CATER standing on their weary feet
from early morning) to eat poor, half
cooked food, and mingle with--they
know not who! We want those who
sew, either by the day or in large
Observation-Disclosures who write in
Offices or study in commercial or other
schools, and teachers-many Of them
find IL difficnlt, uphill work to remain
in boarding, houses where they demand
the highest prices for ordinary accom-
modations--wo want all such to test
our pleasant, modest home. 1t Is not
charity, as many suppose. There
seems to be an impression on tho
minds Of our earnest, Independent
working women, that this is
"only a charity home" This Is u
great mistake. Every one is expected
to pay Tor all they receiye-and just
here will give our rates: For meals,
Is cents; lodging, rs cents; board per
week, $3.50. II anyone comes in n
destitute condition they are received
and cared for just the same, and their
boarding is entered upon the books,
Ito he paid when able TO do sou This
has been Of frequent occurrence in the
Employment Bureau; many penniloss
girls have been sent into good homes,
| for domestic service, and have, with
few exceptions, returned their 'fee'
out OF their first weeks wages, thus,
many are saved from the temptations
OF our city streets at night, by securing
at once good places to work. More
than 100 girls have been placed in
good families during the past nine
months, and vet with this excellent
record, our Home is still an expert.
ment, we are still devising ways and
means OF sustaining IL, until 1t becomes
self-sustaining.
| We have been disappointed in not
meeting with ready response from the
class OF women we hope to secure as
permanent boarders, because OF the
false impression referred to above. viz
Charity! There are over eight hun.
bred women In our city who are self.
supporting. Many OF them--most oil
| them, indeed, are without homes Of
their own, and to such We send this
appeal: Come and help us, and let Va
help you. We speak thus, because we
want to foster spirit OF self-respect
and self-reliance in our own hearts as
we'll as to impart it to others, and
while we are not self-sustnining we
must as a matter Of course, ask aid oil
our liberal hearted citizens.
Many have stood nobly beside us IN
the effort to procure and ut up the
Home, we now open to all who will
come in. and to all the generous men
and women who gave of their time
and money, We return most grateful
| thanks.
/ We will need many things to make
our Home comfortable during winter,
! and to this end we shall now bend all
our energies. During State Fair week
we shall arrange to give comfortable
lodging, and we hope all persons in
terested in our effort, will bear this in
mind, and send to the Home. AIS
Seventh street, north OF Locust, all
their friends who want TO sleep, bui
who prefer to get their meals on the
| Fair grounds, or wherever they may
happen TO be. The season is approach.
| ing when persons come into the city
to find employment for the winter, and
| to this clacs we wish to be of special
service, and we hope our friends will
sond to our Christian Home many who
would enjoy the comforts we seek TO
provide for struggling, homeless wo-
men, and thus aid in placing it upon
a good. independent basis-but until
so placed, we ask our good friends to
help u.s. We need money for our next
| months rent, and will be glad to re,
ceive coal, -four, groceries, meat, po-
tatoes, apples and bedding. As this
is our first winter that Is coming we
shall need much in this department.
Blankets, comforts, and sheets etpcc-
tally, and anything that will make
| bed rooms inviting and acceptable.
AT the last meeting OF the Board OF
managers IL was decided to open a
book in the care of the Matron, Mrs.
Rogers to receive yearly subscribers
at 81 per year, and all persons, old or
young. men and women, are cordially
invited TO stop in at the Home as they
pass by and give their name and 81
| to establish fund for this most worthy
cause. And this brings to mind the
teachers fund.- to be used only in
cases OF sickness, where the wages
stop. when labor ceases! The writer
appealed, in a former paper on this
subject, to teachers. asking Il contri-
button OF 81. Only two out OF the
many hundred teachers Of our city
responded because ESQ am told) OF
the same false impression Of a Char
ity Home" Teachers sometimes get
sick, as others do, and to those who
live in boarding houses the care OF
such a tender motherly woman as
Mrs. Rogers would be invaluable
let us have this fund! Sacred to sick
ness, and kept up by our generous,
.argc-hearted teachers. As Chairman
Of the Soliciting Committee, l will be
glad to receive subscriptions to this
iund. or, IL more convenient, they
could be sent to the Home on Seventh
street. first house north OF the Con-
gregational Church (4l5).
Mrs. MARIA S. ORwId,
Greenwood Avenue.