The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-14
tHaN"H
SOCIETY'S CHARITY.
NeedleWork and Christmas
Guilds Make Comfortable
Clothing for the
Poor.
DOlNGS OF THE SOCIAL WORLD
Mrs. Dr.. De Hart Tells the
Woman's Club Something About
the Digestion-Dances and
Receptions.
DolNGs OF THE SOCIAL WORLD

Amonp the many noble charities in
which the women of Jersey City are
interested, the one which has, perhaps,
a more widespread influence than any
other, is the Needlework Guild. h
scheme of the Guild is so simple that
there is an opportunity for every one
to become a member. Men, women n
children may join the association, the
only qualification being that each one
contributes two new garments each
year.
In Jersey City there are two branches
to the Needlework Guild of America,
the Jersey City Branch. of which Mrs.
Van Worst is President, and the Jersey
City Heights Branch, of which the Pres
ident is Mrs. Marcus Beach. Both
branches have received the most hon.
orable mention in the annual reports
of the general officers. The Needle
work Guild of America is fashioned
after the Needlework Guild of England,
organized by Lady Wolverton. The
fundamental idea of both organizations
is to benefit the poor without pauper-
izing them. Accordingly. as they real
ize that individuals are more easily
imposed upon han established agencies,
they send most of their gifts to the
charitable institutions of the towns and
cities.
PLAN OF ORGANIZATION.
Each branch is divided INTO sections,
each section having a president, three
directors, a secretary and fifty other
members, making in all ~fifty-fve, each
pledged to contribute Two new pieces
Of neediework annually. The directors
and secretary are each responsible for
twenty-five pieces, and each section
president for 10. each section presi-
dent. secretary and director finds ten
people vino will give annually two new
pieces of needlework; if the people do
not keep their pledges the directors
are obliged to make the twenty-five
garments themselves. In the Jersey
City Branch one unfortunate director
this year gave se~venty-two of the one
hundred and ten garments which had
been furnished her. AS a rule, how
ever, no such trouble arises. and there
is little difficulty in finding people will
Ing to give W garments a year.
Taken separately, two garments an
nualiy seems too slight to be of ser
vice. but "mony mickle max a
muckle," and when the needlework is
gathered together 1t is IOuHu liEIt SdCh
branch generally has from fifteen to
twenty-five hundred pieces.
In Jersey City the section presidents
are allowed to give their donations to
the charities in which they are most in
terested. For instance, a president in
terested in the Day Nursery would ask
for children's things, and one interested
in a hospital would get articles OF ser
slways kept for cases of local poverty.
The exhibitions of the garments, which
Are held every year, are open 10 tne
public, and are always well attended:
# the exhibitions of both the Jersey
city and Jersey City Heights branches.
The charities receiving the articles were:
children's Home, Home for Aged Won
en-, Home for the Homeless, St. Kath-
arine's Home for Girls. Home for the
Blind, st. Francis Hospital, Christ Hos
Day Nursery, Raymund Roth Home
CATHOLICS IN THE WORK
Although the Guild is non,sectarian;
not to be outdone in the good work,
y Catholic Guild. called the Christmas
Guild, has been formed. This is the
year yesTn; Of ats b birth, ~ an 3 juad IsTsi,f from noa sae
envy yesterday, it is likely to be long
lived. The rules of the Christmas Guild
are the same as the Needlework Guild,
with the exception that the Christmas
Guild is not a national organization,
and the sections have, no secretary,
which omission make a membership
of ifty-fouf in each section instead Of
ffty-fye. TThe President of the Guild
is Miss M. I. Edge. The garments e3r
hibited by the Christmas Guild were so
n~umerousssthat the number of tables
was insufficient. and the pianos and
even the platform Of the large hall had
to be put in use. The articles We're all
substantial and not one was cheap.
Great care had been displayed in the
aaIAofion of tho or+in1aG. orI 41A.o rrya
not a single, inappropriate donation. The
SECTION presidents Of the Christmas
Edge, Miss M. Devittge5M Mrs. R. Davis,
Mrs. Wm. Farrell. Miss J. Ginocchio.
Miss ]. Garry, Mrs. T.. Gossenberg, Miss
NJ. Lynch, Mrs. T. Mylott. Miss E. Nu-
gent, Miss E.. O'Neill, Miss R. Mcclure,
Mrs. c. Somers. Mrs. P. Turley and
Mrs. G. Tenmlrd.
The institutions which will receive
these Christmas gifts are:-St. MichaePs
0rphanage,. st. Joseph's. Home for the
Blind. st. Johns Parish. st. Francis
Hospital, the Sisters of Peace, and the
parishes of ST. Mary's, st. Peters, ST.
Joseph's, st. B~ridget's and St. Pat
rick's Churches.