Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
THE. POOR'S.. THANKSGIVING
Preparations Beng Now Made at the Gen.
trail Union Mission
A Thousand Families Will He Sup
piled With the Materials for
a Good Dinner.

For ten years 1t has been the custom of
the Central Union Mission to send Thanks
giving dir ers to the poor people of the
city. About 1000 families are usually fur
nished with a half-bushel basket filled with
the raw material of which good Thanks
giving dinner is made. The articles consist
of one-half peck potatoes one pound butter.
one pint beans, one pound rice. one-half
pound coffee, one-draftsr pound tea, one
pound sugar, two loaves bread, one dozen
apples and chicken pr turkey, according to
the size of the family. These articles are
placed in basket and distributed to fami-
lies in all parts of the city on the day be-
fore Thanksgiving. The names and ad-
dresses of the families are furnished by
the workers of the mission and the COM
mittees connected with the eleven branches
distributed throughout the city. AS the
work of the mission is chiefly among the
poorer people, it is not difficult to select a
Thousand families to whom real Thanks
giving dinner Is a LUXURY, which they could
not indulge in wereit not for the generos-
ity of the better classes of our people. The
mission has nine branches mostly frequent
ed by white people. and only two branches
especially for the colored people. SO that
the predominance of gifts will be to white
families, although no distinction of race or
color will be observed The gifts will not
be confined to the pauper class, but will
include self-supporting families. whose in
comes are too small to permit them to pur-
chase turkeys even once year. In some
cases 1t requires some delicacy of method
in presenting such a. gift to really deserv-
ing families, whose self-respect shrinks
from the modification of having their real
poverty known. but in such cases personal
friends are intrusted with the task Of pre-
senting the gift.
Freparation This Year.
This year the mission is making the
raf in,
years, relying upon the generosity of the
people to furnish the means. The work
of preparation and distribution is all done
by voluntary service without compensation,
SO that the expenses are hardly appreci-
able. The Independent Ice Company fur
nisfes most of the wagons without charge,
and in similar manner other expenses are
avoided. The merchants all contribute lib
orally from their supplies, and those
articles which are purchased are secured at
the lowest wholesale rates. with generous
gifts thrown in. 1t speaks we'll of the kind
heartedness of the people when 1t is known
that as rule those who contribute do it
as II they considered it real pleasure TO
do SO. '~ $500 ~ an
A free lunch will be served on Thanks
giving. day to 500 homeless men and wo-
men. In order that this may not accrue
to the benefit OF transients to the exclu-
sion Of local poor people. 400 out of the
800 tickets to be given away will be dis
tributed at the branches of the mission, by
the superintendent and committees, to
citizens and laborers personally known to
them. The other hundred tickets will be
reserved for specially deserving cases which
may appear uninvited on THANKSGIVING
day. The expense of feeding these 500 per-
sons will be but a trife and will AFFORD
real pleasure and relief to many deserving
men and women.
Thanksgiving Services.
The Thanksgiving religious services at
the mission are always unique and inter-
esting. This year they will be more so
than ever. They will commence at IL
o'clock noon and continue till o'clock at
night without intermission, but with a
change of leaders each hour. More than
sixty men and women will take part in
these services as chosen workers. to say
nothing of those who will volunteer parts.
The mission orchestra and choir will be
out in force. Each hour 100 men and wo-
men will be fed in-the dining room. and
will then go upstairs to the gospel services,
where they will hear sweet songs. earnest
eXhortations. personal testimonies of re-
deemed men and women, and the old story
of Gods love to men:
The mission will be glad TO receive gifts
of money, food, clothing and fuel. Those
who can do SO may deliver their gifts at
the mission, but messengers and delivery
wagons will be running all day on each
day preceding Thanksgiving, to gather in
the packages and other gifts.