Evening star., 1899-03-08
HELPING THE POOR
Report Of the Secretary Of Associated
Charities.
FHE WORK DURING FEBRUARY
Methods Employed to Meet the
Unusually Severe Conditions.
THE MONEY EXPENDED

The regular monthly meeting of the board
of managers of the Associated Charities
was held yesterday afternoon at the CEN
trail office, No. S11 street northwest, at
AIS O'Clock. There were present Prof. B.
T. Janney, chairman; Mrs. F. w. Dickins,
Rev. DR.. Bradford, DR.. NJ. G. Motter, Col.
Archibald Hopkins, Rev. DR.. Whitman. DR..
Chas. p Neill, Mr.. Raymond A. Pearson,
with George S. Wilson, general secretary.
After the reading of the minutes and the
usual routine business, the general secre-
tary presented his report of the work of
the society during the month of February.
The report was, in part, as follows:
secretary's Report.
''To the Chairman and Board of Managers
of the Associated Charities:
''Since your last meeting the society has
been put to the severest test in emergency
relief work that it has experienced since its
reorganization The results SO far our
society is concerned, have been at least en-
couraging-in many respects more encour-
aging than might reasonably have been ex-
pected
1T Is true that unusual means had to be
adopted for one week. but unusual condi-
tions existed during that period, and 1t is
important that our society should be elastic
enough to adapt itself to changing condi-
tions as they arise During the week of
the blizzard the police department was per-
mitted to furnish relief to the poor, but at
the end of the week the system was dis
continued and the officers were instructed
to report cases Of destitution to this So
eiety.
The Evening Star Newspaper Company
organized a pound party and distributed re-
| lief freely for two days at The Star office.
The cash receipts of the pound party
mr. to al el
over to the supervising principals of the
public schools for relieving cases of desti-
tuition in their various districts, and espe-
| c1ally to provide shoes and clothing for
children of school age not provided suf
| ficiently to enable them to attend TIE public
schools. The supervising principals, through
the teachers, know the conditions of many
of the families in their districts and the
money in their hands is being wisely used,
and it is done in cooperation with the
agents of this society, so that the super
visors are supplying shoes and clothing In
| many families where we would otherwise
| be obliged to call upon the Relief Associa-
| tion.
During the month of February a total
number of 3,123 separate applications were
| made to the society. OF this number . 361
! were registered and recorded in the usual
| manner, and of the remaining 756 appli-
| cants Al We're furnished temporary relief
| without investigation. This relief was
| given largely through supplies sent to the
| office and from money placed in our hands
| by benevolent person for the purpose of
| providing coal in small quantities during
! the blizzard, when il con!d not be delivered
| by the dealers. The sum of s91 40 was
| distributed in this manner, most of it being
| given In sums of 70 cents to buy one bushel
| of coal OF the 1jG persons that were not
| investigated, and whose history we do not
Know, All were thus furnished temporary
| relief. while the remaining 315 We're turned
| away without relief, as they had evidently
| no reasonable excuse for making applica-
| ton.
| Regular Work.
Coming back to the regular work of the
| society. there We're recorded during the
| month 2,361 separate applications, 593 be-
| ing from white persons and Liza from col
ored. In these applications there were rep
| resented 1,aSo separate families 363 being
white and 1.222 colored. There were J75 Of
| these families classed as new cases-that
is, families not known to the society since
| the present system of records was COM
| menced, in 1855. Seven hundred and
twenty-five Investigations We're made by
the agents during the month. Thirteen ap-
| addresses.
Relief was procured for 1.4S6 families, as
| follows: From churches, for 10 families:
from private relief societies other than
churches, "a families; from benevolent in
| dividuals 1S7 families from the Golden
| Book fund, families, and from the Citi-
zens' Relief Association, ], 1872 families. The
above does not include the temporary re-
| lief furnished to families without inyesti-
| CATION, which has been mentioned before.
"A large quantity of bread, groceries and
clothing sent to the central and division
oIl1ces was distributed. Fifty pairs of new
blankets Were given by a gentleman who
does not wish his name mentioned. These
were given during the cold week preceding
the blizzard, and were partially distributed
be1ore the blizzard came. The Washington
and Georgetown Gas Light Company gave
25o bushels of coke, which were distributed
| IN Georgetown.
street Department Gives Aid
The employment furnished by the street
department to laborers in the work of re-
moving the snow from the streets, was one
OF the most important aids to the society
during the month. For nearly Il week en-
pioyment was given to all the able-bodied
men that we could send to the department
ana IN TINS way about 200 applicants We're
disposed OF. In fact, most of them got
work and those who did not did not trou-
Die us again, because work was to be had
and if they refused it they had no claims
on charlty. In addition to this extra work
during the month employment was found
for thirty-four persons, permanent employ
ment for twenty-five and temporary en-
pioyment for twelve, six persons were
placed IN institutions, five for temporary
treatment and one for permanent care
"One encouraging feature during the
month is the fact that a few of our poor
families who have been in the habit of saw
Ing little Of their means have continued
to do so, and during the month $14.75 were
deposited in the savings fund. Besides,
| twenty six families provided necessaries for
themselves from their savings.
"Sixty-ntne Investigations were made for
the Central Dispensary during the month
and certificates were given to sixty-two of
the applicants, four being refused while
three were found to have given false ad-
| dresses. Twelve Investigations were made
for the Eastern Dispensary and certificates
were issued in every case.
Omcers and Agents.
1--WE have had during the month most en-
couraging help and cooperation from the
officers, members and friends of the society
Several of the board members helped in
visiting families during the pressure of the
extremely severe weather. The agents
especially are entitled to great credit for
the work done under such dImcult conuI-
tions. During the extreme weather we had
to use sleighs and wagons to get to some of
the families that could not come to us and
whom we feared might suffer. Mr.. T. w.
Smith helped us In this respect in the
southeast by furnishing a horse and cutter.
MIR. c. w. Sharswood sent wagon to take
fIn