Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-26
Principles and Methods Represented
by Local Organizations.
SECOND issue OF ANNUAL REPORTS
Joint Product of Citizens Associa-
ton and Associated Charities.
ESUME OF THE WORK

The second joint issue of the annual re-
| ports of the Citizens Relief Association and
the Associated Charities, embracing also
extracts from the report of the Washing
ton Sanitary Improvement Company, which
| was organized during the winter Of 1S96-97
| as a subcommittee Of the Citizens Relief
Association. has been published.
| The interesting feature of the publication
| is the statement of the principles and meth
! DDS of the relief association and the Asso
| ciated Charities. The Citizens Relief AS
| ISOLATION, 1t is stated stands for material
aims. 1t ineurs no administrative expenses
| itself and therefore requires that all who
| apply for food, fuel or shoes from it's fund
| shall be investigated by the Associated
| Charities.
Personal and Social.
The Associated Charities stands for per-
| sonal and social service. 1t gives ma
| terial aims from its own general funds. but
| strives to bring about adequate treatment
of each needy Individual family upon
| the basis of an adequate understanding of
| his needs and resources.
| The methods of the Associated Charities
are described in nine brief paragraphs as
! follows:
| First, investigation-Prompt tactful in
| quiry is made by trained agents, who visit
| each applicants home and, when needful
|
| his previous employers, references and
| earlier residences.
| Persons solicited for aims should request
report by the Associated Charities be-
| fore giving. Cards for thus referring appli-
| cants are provided free.
| Second immediate aid-Emergency relief
is secured at once drom the Citizens Re
| lief or from the Golden Book FUND.- in
| case of actual distress with no delay or
| red tape"
| Third, permanent betterment-An ener-
getic effort is made to secure for each
| needy person exactly that kind and amount
| of material aid, of employment, corrective
| influence, opportunity, friendly counsel. So
| cial intercourse or gradual upbuilding
which is needful for the permanent relief
OF his distress and the Improvement of his
| life.
| Cooperative System.
| Fourth co-operation-The cordial
| working of various charities, churches, re-
| lief agencies schools and other philanthro-
| pies is brought about by % the division
agents, who visit all these workers, en-
abling them to avoid working at cross pur-
poses, and (2) by a central system of per-
manent case records. whereby duplication,
overlapping and inadequacy are prevented
| and whereby If two or more helpers are
interested in the same applicant, they are
| informed. If one helper begins this year to
aid family which was previously assisted
by another organiZati ton, these records en-
able the new worker to profit by his prede-
ceSSor'S experience.
Fifth, friendly visitors-Unpaid workers
are enlisted to serve as friendly visitors to
one or two families only. A friendly WIS.,
itor is asked to give no material aims. In
stead for example, he may secure odd jobs
or steady work for the unemployed man of
a needy family, or washings and sewing IL
| the falnlyS head be a woman; he may
| promote the regular school attendance of
| the family's children and the Improvement
| of their home life; advice encouragement
| and his own larger resourcefulness the Wis
| itor may lend to neglected people, together
with that upbuilding which comes only
from personal contact and the assurance
that somebody cares"
Sixth, provident habits-Stamp savings
have been introduced by the association.
Division agents and volunteers make week.
ly rounds among the neediest homes, per-
suading their occupants to save nickels,
dimes and quarters regularly in attractive
stamp deposit books. This system leads
many to lift themselves above the require
| ment of aims by laying by small sums to-
ward future needs.
| Special Work.
Seventh, direct benevolencies-A Golden
| Book is kept for accounts of subscriptions
| given by persons who wish to devote mon
| ey directly and without administrative ex-
| pense, to distressed families. Special ap-
! peals are also issued frequently for funds
to supply an artificial limb, to establish
I transportation for dependents to places
| where care is assured, or for other special
| cases The agents, resources and expert
| ence of the association are freely at the
! service of givers who wish to have their
! charities applied in special ways or to
! specified classes of need.
| Eighth, officiaism avoided-In each divi-
| sion an unpaid committee, representing the
| managers, friendly visitors and subscribers
| or the association, meets weekly to pass
| upon all cases investigated by the paid
| agent. This division committee" is COM
| parable to a council of physicians 1t also
| prevents the organization from becoming
| superficial and careless or formal and case
| hardened In the treatment of needy people
Serve as Central Stations.
! Ninth. neighborhood centers-Seven Of
| Ulcers are maintained, strategically placed,
| to serve as centers for such Individual or
organized social service as may be needed
| In the most neglected communities 1.-THE
Instructive Visiting Nurse Society,"" the
| flower guild" the Citizens relief" the
| provident fund committee" medical dis
| pensaries, church and school workers and
| many others use these offices as charitable
| clearing houses and centers for philan-
| thropy.
| Each office has the entire, undivided SER
| vice OF at least one experienced paid work.
/ er, VINO stands ever ready to consider and
| befriend the most sensitive or most de-
| spalrlng sufferer. These division Offices are
| the city's Outposts for social service Their
agents represent the willingness of Wash
| instons resourceful people to hear and AL
leViate the distresses of the poor. The
agent serves as a means of communication
ana a living bond between comfortably cir
| cumstanced, generous citizens and their
neediest brethren. -
| Sanitary improvements.
| The report of the Washington Sanitary
Improvement Company shows the growth
OF that organization since March. 1903
when Its assets were s35.959.O5 to March,
lsoI, when the assets were s13s. 344 90
with a surplus of s4,6T2.76 The companv
was awarded gold medal at the Paris
| exposition last year. In concluding his re-
port, the president. Surgeon General George
| says: '-'iiiS
| While in this report I have laid snecial
| stress upon the success of the COMPANY
| from financial point of view 1t must not
| De supposed that we have lost sight of the
| philanthropic motives which led to its or
| ganization. As stated in our original pros-
pectus, the company aims to supply. for
| the present. healthful homes for the hettar