Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-04
SUMNER CHARITY WORK
Mr. Wilson's Report of What is Being
Done
The City Lot Farmers Are Few, but
Are PrOsperfnS-SnyinE Scheme
and the Cooking School.


| Mr.. Wilson presented his monthly report
| which follows in full:
| Less Need of Aid.
1.-The month of May has seen a still fur.
| Their falling off of the number Of those who
have come to US to seek aid. Ever since
the severe weather in the month of March
the numbers making application for aid
| have greatly declined In the month OF
March 916 families made application. In
| the month of April only 297 and in May
| only 100 families. OF this number only 4.
were relieved or recommended for relief
Most OF the cases that have still or
! hand requiring relief are either cases OF
| sickness or those cases in which the family
| are able 10 do something for themselves, bu
| never quite able to support themselves
wholly The season is past when the poor
| people come to us in great numbers, and
| now is the time when we ought to go tC
| them.
| of the 100 families who have made ap-
pilcation during May 50 We're white fami-
| hes and Il colored families; 10 persons
| made application for work only and per-
manent employment was found for and
temporary employment found for o; Il
Ianllles We're referred to their churches for
itHe1 ana s We're referred to other So
/ cleties, and 4 We're relieved by benevolent
individuals; 81 families were relieved by
tne emergency committee; % were fur
nishfu wood from the library building and
thelr friends outside the CITY: 81 inyestira-
ions OF new cases were made during the
month"; persons were found to have piyep
nalse addresses: 80 letters of inquiry and
ieqCtSts Tor investigation were received al
the division offices, and 10 at the central
once, while 81 letters reporting families
were sent out from the division offices and
20 from the central office Our aeants ,,,do
-oo visits TO families.
Now Earning Good Wages.
IN accordance with the action of the.
'o''in S't lis last meeting our executive.
committee MADE arrangements tor closing
the division offices and reducing the num-
Der OF agents at the 1st of June Hence the
work OF the SUNNI months will be car
red on entirely from the central office.
We are sorry that the conditions MAKE II
necessary to limit our work during ,ba
summer months, for this is the time when
We hopeu 10 accomplish most in preventive
Moth. burlnS the past month we have had
mary evidences of the Importance of this
work and of what We might hope to ac-
tplnpllSh II we were enabled to continue it
tiIiousnout the summer months. Our
agents nave been able to persuade several
I"mliles tc CONNIE nee saving a little all
Ie&dy, while. on the other hand they have
lcund that some of those whose families
applied for relief during the winter are
nc" earning good wages, and spending
lhem focllShly as fast as they earn them
In two families. where the husbands and
tathers are bricklayers, the men are earn
ing on an average about ST per day a
large part of 1t goes for drink and yery
httle is spent on their families. Such cases
as these need constant watching Ere
quently the agent can make arrangements
with the employer whereby the money
shall be paid to the family and not to the
husband, who cannot be trusted TO use it
Tor the advantage of his family By con-
slant watching and personal effort, fire.
qrentiy much can be done with many of
THESE cases, and we always at least learn
something more Of the family, and know
better how to deal with them when they
make application for relief the following
winter, while if we lose track of them dur
Ing the summer months the dissipation
gees on, and in the winter they return
with the old story that they had little en-
assistance for their families during the
winter months.
The Savings Scheme.
we hope, however, to be able to keep in
touch somewhat during the summer
months with those with whom we have
met during the winter. The investigations
winch We Will be called upon to make will
call us into every part of the city We
nave planned to make regular visits In the
GlIerent divisions, endeavoring to collect
something from those who are in posi-
ton to save during the summer months
Already persons have taken savings books
ard have commenced to save in small
amounts We have had the agents make
out list of all those in their various d.
visions whom they think might possibly be
able to save little. Later we will call on
an al those whose names appear on the lists.
We do not expect that any very large
amount will be collected during this year
but We believe that 1t is important that we
should do what We can to teach these peO-
pie habits of thrift, and we also know that
1t may be a means of bringing us in con-
tact with these people during the summer
and enable US to better judge of their con-
clifton when the winter approaches again.
Mrs. A. L. Woodbury., who has carried
on q cooking class at lbs N street north
west for several years, has arranged this
summer to conduct housekeeping classes
for young girls, and we have had the priv
ilege of recommending for admission to
such class thirteen girls from the homes
of the poor, with whom we have been
dealing.
The Flower Guild.
"A branch of the National Fruit and
Flower Guild has been organized in Wash
irgton, and the officers of the guild have
very kindly volunteered to. cooperate with
the Associated Charities in having sent
to the homes of the poor, and especially
OF the sick poor flowers and fruit 1t is
expected that the first work Of the guild
will be done this week. This is a work
similar to that of the flower mission, which
has been conducted so successfully in many
cities, and We are glad to have such work
organized in Washington, and will he
guild from the beginning.
The Lot Farmers.
Something has been done in the way
of affording an opportunity to the poor
to cultivate vacant lots, but owing to a
lack of funds We have not been able to do
much as we would otherwise have done
About twenty-five families have been given
an opportunity to cultivate lots this sea-
son. The plan is being tried in other
cities more extensively this year than ever
before, and if it is found that it works
successfully in other communities the
work here another season should be I'M
dertaken earlier and an effort made to
give it a sufficient trial. We will do what
We can to keep In touch with the people
during the summer, keeping up the various
branches of our work so far as possible
with the help We have, and hope to be
in a position next fall to enter an active
campaign in behalf of the work of the So
ciety."
ID