The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-08
Basket Of Good Thingsto
be Placed in Home of
Every Needy Family
CHARITY WORKERS
UNITE ON A PLAN.
Movement Will Make Holiday
Season Among the Destitute
Brighter and Happier Than
Ever Bcfore--Committce
on Information Al
ready at Work.

In the home OF every needy family
N Richmond on Christmas Day will
DC a basket loaded with good things,
placed there by the charity workers
throughout the city, who are now or
ganizing the most thorough and ex-
t,nsiye campaign of the sort ever at
tempted here.
With the holiday season comes the
feeling OF cheer and good will in the
hearts OF those who have, but to those
who have not the drcary iopeessness
OF Christmas only In name Is simply
sccentuated. Seeing others feasting
and making merry at this happiest
tine of the whole year feeling akin
To desperation is stirred in the breasts
OF The poverty-stricken.
Many destitute parents are now
drcading the prospect OF Witnessing
the distress and disappointment OF
their little ones when, on the long
iooked-for morning they will rush, full
CT joyful expectancy. to their frayed
little stockings. only to find that Santa
Claus has passed them by. Little can
they realize that the problem which
eonfronts their parents is one inyoly-
i's mere existence. and that the small
sst OF the seasons joys is too expen-
siee.
Unite In Movement.
In too many homes where want has
rover been known before. the woif is
ut the door this year. The fathers
work. which, heretofore has furnished
them enough and to spare has gone
and however willing and ANXIOUS he
may be. there seems nothing 10 When
he may turn his hand. Such cases as
thls--more numerous this season than
'per before--are to be added 10 the
i1au,- caused By destitution. sickness
and old age. which are no less pa
thetic.
Deeply concerned over this state OF
affairs. all the charity Institutions of
he city, and Individual workers. WHO
ar'e no less jealous, have DECIDED to
work In concert this year to see to II
hat baskets shall be distributed among
ne poor IN such a way that each
rcedy family which is not ACTUALLY
unworthy shall be the recipient of a
.asket containing not only such little
lungs as Will be reminders of the
'estiye season and show that they are
1ot forgotten. blu: also substantial food
!hat is really necessary.
In inaugurating this movement those
VINO are Interested are fully alive to
tiic fact that the smallest difficuitv
viii be in obtaining the baskets. TIE
people of Richmond have always mani
rested exceptional liberality and such
appeals as have been made this wear
have never been passed over. Granted
that there Will be baskets enough
and to spare TO reach every deserving
poor family. u Is plain that unless the
4 oHHerent organizations and individuals
work In harmony some families Will
be missed and some will get move
man one basket. The primary object
Is to see that each family gets a
east one, and should there be more
than enough to go around, the over
plus may be used to the best adyan-
tagc.
Committee Named.
The Associated Charities, concurrins
with the Rev. a. B. Sharpe. OF the
Methodist Institute. formed Friday
night committee Of information, con.
sistins of Mrs. Norman Randolph, the
Rev. Mr.. Sharpe, and the Rev. Dr.
James Buchanan. to cooperate with
other charity organizations Of the city
In perfecting the arrangements.
Captain Fowler, of the Salvation
Army, assures his hearty approval Of
the proposition, and says that although
great many of his tickets have been
issued already he will furnish all the
information at his command to The
end that the plans may be fully
Z carried out. A - lss tf4s 81
The movement is not under the
auspices OF any special organizations
but 1t needs the support Of them all
l to bring 1t to a successful culminatton.
The committee Of information will In
8 y a o Way hamper any one in placing do.
nations With whom they see tit, and Is
simply formed so as to give out the
valuable information contained In this
records OF the two institutions, which
are complete as referring to all the
poor and destitute which come under
their observation. The most feasible
plan seems to be that each orgnr,iza-
ton compare Its list Of pensioners with
the others, and thus he assured that
no one will be missed. sssy & Z
In this way 1t will be possible FOR
the gifts to be placed where the most
good may he done and where their
presence will create sthe most lappi-
ness and ease the most pain.
It cannot be too strongly empha-
sized that this concert Of action be-
tween organized charities and indi-
vtduals means the bending Of the ef-
forts Of the entire army OF workers.
In Richmond4to one object and gthatslt
iss backed by the experience OF those
Y who have spen years at the work, The
evil etofore has, been not In the
giving but In the distribution OF tho
gifts, and It seems that II the present
plans are followed Christmas among
the oity's poor will be brighter ana
happier than ever before, sfA