Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-28
WORKED FOR CHARITY
MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED
CITIZENS GIVE SERVICES.

Seven hundred and fifty-eight volunteers
have assisted the regular paid workers Of
the Associated Charities during the year OF
1908, according to the joint annual report
of the Associated Charities and the Citi-
Gems Relief Association. Three hundred
and thirty-fve Of these volunteers have
worked directly with needy and destitute
families. Four hundred and twenty-three
volunteers have been engaged in construc-
tive and preventive work through the spe-
cial committees on tuberculosis, housing
conditions Fairgrounds and summer out
ings. Ninety-eight friendly visitors have
each worked for the upbuilding of one or
two neglected households. They have per-
sonally united the forces of those who give
and those who receive by ties of friendship
and good-felowship. The result has been
that in some cases families who previously
lived upon charity have become indepen-
dent. There have been seventy voiun-
teer savings collectors, who have gone from
house to house every week, regularly. col
lecting the nickels and dimes, sometimes
even the pennies, of those who are unapie
to save more. In all, 3,53S families have
been canvassed by these volunteer collectors
and by the Associated Charities agents.
The sum of 81 ,223.35 has been collected In
these small sums from poor people Through
the seventy-SiX volunteers recorded as
summer outings helpers, q large NUMBER
of mothers and a horde of puny. children
were 126 voluntee who served on the
division conferences or case committees
and seventy-nine who gave unpaid assist
ance in other lines In all. 335 distinct In
dividuals were at work with neglected fam
lies.
In constructive and preventive work, 423
volunteer workers We're enlisted. Inc COM
mittee on the prevention or consumption III
Guided 1O7 members, the committee on the
Improvement of housing conditions Il vol
unteers; the summer outings committee en-
aII ,nnn n
teer conductors OF outing parties mentioned
above. There were 25I who worked on OF
for the public Fairgrounds Altogether
these four branches of the service enlsted
5I3 yolun teers, or, excluding duplicates 40
individuals.
Method of Work.
Modern charity is to be judged, not by
the ratio between expenses and refer, out
by the ratio between expenses and work
accomplished, with an appreciation or the
fact that the work is large, varied and not
confined to the mere giving of aims. Inc
ideal of the charity organization movement
is to steadily decrease the amount OF fooo
and fuel which must be given, by constant
ly developing among the Needy the re-
sources opportunities and ambitions for
self help is the sta tement made in the
annual report of the Associated Charities.
The yearly expenses of the organization
have been doubled since 1900, but the work
accomplished has increased in still larger
proportion. This does not Imply that the
number of those depending upon CHART!
has Increased. for the lines of activity OF
the Associated Charities have radiated In
many new directions. The amount spent
by the Citizens Relief Association for food,
fuel and clothing was only S,19.2 IN
1905 as compared with So, 140.47 in 1900. an
actual reduction of nearly 800 In spite or
q large increase in the number of cases
handed.
In spite of the impressive and convincing
statement made in the form Of statistical
tables published In the report, the report
says: Every study of the figures leaves
one with the clear conviction that the half
cannot be told, especially the best half, by
statistics or formal staten ents. AS In other
lines of religious, educational, character
building endeavor, II is the minds, spirits
and lives of human beings that are con-
cerned, and there Is no adequate means OF
definitely gauging the exact effect which
large work has in either making or marring
the lives OF many people. These larger
questions of the spirit must be determined
moro by personal contact with the work
and by q comprehensive Judgment formed
from many impressions Of ii, than by
arithmetical computation. After devising
every possible means of showing our re-
suits statistically We still find that the
best part of what we do can only be appre-
ciated through that personal inspection OF
it which we always solicit from every per-
son interested