Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-14
N OF o GIVE AL M S
Change in the Plan of Work of the As
ISOLATED Charities.
To Become n Clearing House Among
Charitfes-TO Systematize the
Work of Relief.

The board of managers of the Associated
Charities at special meeting Thursday af-
ternoon considered the question of whether
or not the society should continue to be an
almsgiving organization or should give uI
that branch of the work and devote itself
to the work of investigation and registra-
ton, to the end that the charities of the
District might be brought into proper CO.
operation, and the waste and evil effects OF
indiscriminate giving prevented
In most of the larger cities of the coun-
try the Associated Charities Association is
not relef-giving organization, but de-
votes itself to the work of bringing about
cooperation Of all charities. 1t is, in short
central clearing house, where records of
all dependent families are on file, and all
the other charities of the community by
the use Of its records and investiga lions
are enabled to do their work intelligently
and efficiently. In some cases efforts have
Teen made to combine in one organization
the work of relief giving and the AUCTIONS
OF the clearing house, but such attempts
have never been successful. 1t has been
1elt for some time that there was much
ihdiscriminate and injudicious giving in the
District OF Columbia, and the need of a
central organizing body, through which all
charities could work, has been keenly felt
SGch organizations are now reported as do
L X,
baltimore, Cincinnati and other large
cities.
The board of managers of the Associated
CHARITIES at its meeting Thursday evening
AFTER long and thorough discussion of the
SUBJECT, came to the conclusion that an
organization doing relief work directly could
not at the same time act as the clearing
mouse through which all other relief agen-
cles would work. and they voted unani-
mously that the Associated Charities in
the future be a non-relief giving society
and devote itself to the work of bringing
about proper harmony and co-opera ticn
among all existing relief-giving organiza-
lions and charitable individuals, and that
II ask the cooperation and sympathy of
the charitable people of the community in
TINS work They ask that all agencies
Tor charitable work in the District consult
their records and ask for their investisa-
tions, and they request the public to refer
to them for investigation all street teggars
and unknown applicants for aid Each
ruby and report made to those sending ap-
plicants to the society. Where relief is
found necessary it will be obtained from
the proper source. According to the nIan
it is claimed that if every agency doinp
relief work report to the Associated Chart,
Ties no applicant can draw from more than
one source.
A corps of friendly visitors will he or
ganized to visit the poor in their homes
and strive by personal contact and friendly
advice to raise the poor above the need OF
relief eN VI
Members of the organization hone that
all persons interested in the welfare of the
poor of the District, and who are DESTROYS
that the money devoted to charitable pur-
poses shall be used in such way as to
accomplish the greatest and most lastin.
good. will heartily cooperate with the AS
ISOLATED Charities in carrying on this work
Rev. John Gloyd, spiritual director of the
st. Vincent de Paul Society, has written
as follows:
IF the Associated Charities will send the
address of any poor family within my jur-
isdiction, assistance will be promptly rem
dered. The presidents of all other confer
ences in the District will be requested to
do the same"