The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-02-05
Tor the Poor of Staunton.

good worl. of relieving distress among
the poor of the city The resources OF
the mission are nsed about as fast asthey
can be obtained, in order that no suffer-
ing may be prolonged through simple
lack of promptness in dispensing chair
ty. At the regular weekly meeting Of
the mi sion. held at II O'Clock eve:y
Tuesday in the council room OF the city
hall building, applications for aid are res
ceived and attended to.
But the need for help is greater than
the mission res ources What is obtained
from sales of clothing etc. made by needy
people should be supplemented with in
creased contributions from the public of
mon ~, food, fuel and second hand cloth
ing. At the present midwinter period.
and during the next six weeks or two
moaths, the City Mission alone will pro
tect many persons from actual want
Church and individual charity reaches
but small proportion of the needy peo-
pie, sad il $50 but temperatures rule ;
an :. ,il.. 81 lie most deserving persons
amonsg III poor will suffer long from
want before they will apply for an allow
/ ance from the public money in the city
tire tsury.
| The object OF the City Mission is to
hel , The poor to help themselves. Char
| ity for any other purpose, except in eases
| of extreme need. as in sickness or star
walton, does more l.a.m than good. This
| truth has been proved during recent
years by the successful experience OF
charity associate iii many American
cities.
Pluperisln is n burden to a communi-
ty as we'll MS a curse TO the iaupers them
selves. For the public good and for his
own sake, noperson capable of self sup
port should be allowed to sink to the
degradation OF II pauper. Giving in the
common way TO an unkn6 WI beggar re-
suits almost invariably ia positive harm,
both to the beggar aud 10 the public
whom he preys upon IT encourages
him to devote to lis business OF begging
the Industry that would support him by
honest work or all travelling beggars'
organ grinders, blind men and the like,
! it is quite probable that investigation
woulI prove at least ninrty per cent. to
be utterly unworthy of public consider
alton.
Do not waste on impostors, therefore.
what the deserving poor are suffering
for. Do notindolently imagine that you
are lending TO he Lord when you are sin.
ply throwing to the dogs. Donot count
on the supposed inherent religious merit
of indscriminate charity. The Great
Being. who knows all circumstances and
all hearts, accepts as meritorious charity
none but that which by the direction OF
active, self-eacritcing good will is kept
from producing obyious evil and made
to yield positive good to the eyer pres
ent deserving poor.
Lift up, cheer, and make self sup
porting, with your money, counsel and
influence, any deserving person whom
you can thus benefit through your
pwn individual effort, the best kind OF
| effort one can put forth. Buff you find
it inconvenient to devote such personal
attention to the matter, lei the ladies OF
the City Mission dispense for you @Eiaf
yoa can afford in charity. The Mission
was organized for just such work Its
members have studied the requirements,
and practice has made them efficient
Their business is to go ia person to visit
the poor, to determine what kind OF aid
in each case will do most toward raising
the person to the honorable plane of self
support All their self sacrificing service
is gratuitous. They allow nothing to be
wasted, nor any fraud to be practiced
With each dollar given them they do the
greatest possible good. Whenever prac-
ticable they give work to those who APP
ply For aid.
When beggar comes to your house.
give him something to eat II yon can do
so conveniently, but do not give him
money. Send him to the City Mission
| meeting at II o'clock on Tuesdays, to
Mrs. A, IT, Fultz, president, or to Mrs.
W. L. Olivier, secretary. They will Sc
that all worthy applicants are aided as
far as the Mission 'sresouress viii permit.
The City Mission benefits the general
! public as well as the poor. 1t stops beg
gsag from door to door. Since it's organ
ization begging in StaGlton has greatly
decreased. And il gives everybody the
satisfaction of knowing trial ilie poor OF
the city are being cared for hg organized
effort. Remember the City Mission,
therefore, contribute literally to main
tain its good work and thus fulfill your
duty to those around you who are less
fortunate than yourself.
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