The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-14
WORK AMONG
THE DESTITUTE
Report from the Society of
st. Vincent de Paul for
the Past Year.
Fifteen Hundred People Have
Been Helped Out of Their
Troubles.
More Room and More Clothing Needed
for the Poor at the mshou,e
This Winter.

At the quarterly meeting of the Society
of St. Vincent de Paul, held yesterday
afternoon at the church of the Mission
Dolores, splendid showing was made of
charitable work done among the deserv-
ing poor all over the City. Reports were
read from all the conferences except st.
Mary's. which by an oversight had been
made to cover only two months work in
stead of that of the whole term. The re-
port will be filed with the secretary of the
society in few days.
The work is progressing very favorably,
and the society is planning large extern
sion of its usefulness by securing the
cooperation of conferences from the
foreign Roman Catholic churches, which
have a large mem bership In San Fran
cisco. The number of German Catholics is
especially large and they have two
churches. There are also French Spanish
and Italian churches. The Society of St.
Vincent de Paul desires that conferences
of these churches OF foreign speech should
come into their society, and the question
of inviting them will be submitted to the
consideration of the Arch bishop.
After the secretary of the society, P. ].
Thomas, had read the detailed reports
from the several conferences, the presi-
dent, ]. M. Burnett, summed up the last
terms work, as follows:
Total receipts, $1,000 OF; total expenditures,
$17U9 80; balance in treasury, $1,000; num-
Der families relieved. All: number of per-
sons in same, 1476; number or visits made,
1851.
A report from the Almshouse commit
tee of the society was read, which states
that the inmates are we'll looked after and
generally contented. Donations were
made to them of reading matter, consist
ing OF papers and prayer-b books: and of
tobacco to the men, all of which were
greatly appreciated. There is lack of
accommodation there, owing to the largely
increased number OF inmates, which is
is now eighty-four more than were there
last year, making total of 897. There
are accomm odations for 896. but the DOS
sibilities of large increase in this num-
Der during the cold winter months makes
the present provision inadequate. Mr..
Reddy, the superintendent OF the Aims
house, suggested that the society's COM
mittee assist him in obtaining an appro-
priation from the Supervisors of $500, to
be used in the purchase of fifty beds and
seventy-five blankets and the fitting up of
No. building as a dormitory.
The committee further reports that
clothing is needed for both men and
women and suggests that an organized
effort be made by all conferences TO
gather clothing that could be used by
these poor old people, who require warm
clothing during the cold winter months,
The society took action on this report
by passing a resolution that each con-
ference should be urged to exert itself 10
secure clothing for these unfortunate
people.
The Conference of ST. Joseph was ap.
pointed to visit the Almshouse during the
next term.
The next regular meeting of the society
will be held the first Sunday in Lent at
st. Joseph's.
Father ]. ]. Prendergast of ST. Mary's
Cathedral, who is the spiritual director of
the society. delivered short address, in
which he commended the various con-
ferences for their energetic work among
the poor. He said this work had bee n
most effective and that there had been no
carelessness and no indifference.
The meeting was closed with an earnest
prayer by Father Prendergast.
The work of the various conferences in
detail is as follows:
Sacred Heart-Total receipts, $40 TO-. bal