The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-11-12
WILL WORK HARD
AT THANKSGIVING
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA WILL
FEED POOR AS USUAL.
Collections ON Street and in Downtown
Offices, Will Be Begun This Week to
Secure Funds to Provide Good Cheer
for the Needy-Other Organizations
Plans .aes All. * .

Perhaps the uncertainty of the date
for THANKSGIVING Day has had some
thing to do with the backward prepare
| tions for the dinner annually given to
| the poor of the city, or perhaps on ac-
count Of the sunshiny weather many
do not realize Thanksgiving Day is so
near. At any rate, very few charitable
organizations arc preparing for the
that not very actively as yet.
The Volunteers of America seem to
be the only organization even begin
ming to think about Thanksgiving din
ners on a large scale. They generally
do very extensive work about this
time of year, making collections and
planning to supply from 400 to 600
families with at least one square meal
1t has been the custom Of the Volun-
teers for several years to SCI send out
baskets of provisions, generally about
this time. Several men canvass the
business districts collecting funds from
the heads OF firms and then two OF
three lassles cover the same ground
soliciting from the working forces of
the Offices and firms. The workers are
timorous about making the usual col
lections this year, since the army has
been soliciting for several weeks al
ready to raise funds for the new add
ton to the Working Girls home on the
East side. About $3.50 has been col
lected for this purpose. the final cost
will be in the neighborhood of $4,000
As usual there will be Volunteers OF
the street corners with boxes to Goa,
the stray pennies, nickles and dime!
from the pockets Of passersby. TIL,
collections, both on the streets and il
offices, will begin this week or at tn,
latest the week after. ...G".>.
Another Good Point.
There is a good point about the Gus
tom Of giving baskets containing tn
delicacies instead of having a sprea
dow ntown say the Volunteers, tn
the distributing of several hundred bas
kets is a deal of work even with tn
assistance Of divers transfer companie
who donate their services for the pu1
pose. In many instances the heads O
poor households not infrequently al
tend the spread and leave the goo
, wife and little ones at home to g
without a Thanksgiving dinner. Wher
, baskets are sent, there is sure to b
of a dozen, and where families al
smaller, the provisions last for severe
! meals. Then many worthy poor al
7. too sensitive to attend a public distr
button Of food or provisions, and woul
} 90 without rather than appear at
: public table. By long experience tn
: Volunteers have learned how to do til
t work well and tactfully.
'"The distributing of dinners is b
| no means slight undertaking. II
9 wholesale houses are generous as ru
2 and donate barrels Of apples and p
:; tatoes, bags of rice, or some other a
| Of hof
l ing of funds to the Volunteers. TT
money goes for sugar, cranberrie
= beans, chickens. etc.
: -. Luxuries This Year.
L [ "cranberries and apples. will
: luxuries this years. says Major G.
! Andrick, who has; charge Of the wor
! "and consequently there will be
smaller amount of these things bough
r Last year each basket contained eleve
= articles of food, and if there was I
n Bible in the home, New 'Testamel
f went also.'' <3
f The Sunshine society will probab
e beam as usual on Thanksgiving Da
tho the individual branches carry {
their own preparations. For sever
weeks before the suspicious date, thu
give socials and entertainments to raj
. funds for the purpose Of supplying Sc
eral families which they have takt
} under their wing. and as a rule raj
So or $40 for this purpose. Some
a the branches have proteges, old fol
" or blind woman or an orphan, and
~ is their pride, and pleasure to see tn
;s their particular charge gets the We
20 % best dinner that they can prepal
u There are about twenty branches
~ the city. tho not all of them are activ
~ The Associated Charities is an i,
~ portant medium in the dispensing
~. ~ good cheer. They cooperate with
20 the other organizations and church,
~ verifying lists of worthy poor and
10 eating objects for the tender merci
10 of the benevolent individual who war
u, to supply the dinner with his or
~ hands and see the light in the fac
ic of his guests at the Thanksgiving dj
10 ner with his own eyes. This year t
Ie board will care for about 100 famil1
ae and aid in caring for many more. -.