Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-11
CHARITABLE WORK,
An Analysis of Needs and Methods
of Such Service in Pittsburg.

Charles f. Weller In the Pittsburg Dispatch.
A needy woman whose family is beset
by hunger, sickness, ignorance and othe,
needs for charitable service must usually
apply to several different charities, for
each gives only a portion of the charl-
table treatment that is necessary. The
applicant must thus become in herself,
an associated Chart es." Resourcefu.
citizens also, seeking charitable agencies
appropriate to the needs of some depend
ent family. learn quickly how confusln
and ineffective it Is to have three hun
dred or more charities, with their indi-
vldual Limitations and pecul arities. anu
no common center throu h which to reach
any or all Of them promptly and with &C
curate knowledge of what help each will
give. To be focusing center, such a
telephone exchange. such a bureau, OF
headquarters, or common meeting around
for all the diversified charities of Pitts
burg, is one purpose Of the Associated
Charities.
Every one Of the trained visitors is
such an organic ng center enisting from
appropriate sources the various helps re-
quired for each family; but no one person
can even remember the names of all the
charities. A distinct set of records has
therefore been developed. one folder
for each of the charitable resources avail
able. This work Ia gradually growing
into department OF charta BILE re-
sources whose purposes are defined as
follows: ITO Develop and keep hmm ed;
ately available a full record of every
charita BILE institution or organization To-
Gated in Greater Pittsburg, or connected
n any way with the city. in order to
know promptly what kind of service each
will render and how It's aid may best be
enlisted for appropriate cases. This is
naturally a part OF the associa TONS gen
eral purpose, to serve as q cooperative
center through which needy people, or
citizens interested In them, may be
brought n touch with the proper sources
of help. Until the association began the
Gradual development of these central rec
ords no one had even a complete list of
all the philanthropic agencies available.
and ey IN it's own lar~e list is still grow
irg." The card catalogue of all these
charitable agencies Is classified by sys-
tenn of co'ored tabs by VIII ch the agent
can pick out immediately. the charities
dealing with children, with)the sick, with
eneral relief problems correct We work,
custodiaI care or other forms of aid.
This DEPARTMENT Is rece wing in increas-
ing numbers requests for reports as to
the character and efficiency Of various
char ties which solicit contr- but :ons. Bus
ness firms and individuals with title time
to look into the merits Of charitable APP
peals have felt that some central agency
should undertake the responsibility for
preventing the frauds and in1postures
that lessen the resources available for
leg; innate charities. In responding to
these requests for information the AssO-
q ated Char tics has conferred freely with
the charity named in order to make
nnrt "hi"h should he both reliable and
also helpful to the best interests or the
particular charity. While checking some
fagrantly unnecessary or Fraudulent
cha ritable schemes, this work has also
added some worthy CHARITIES to the list
of regular benefc.aries of largo contrib
utorS. II has also helned t." increase the
conmunity's general confidence, which
had b cn weakened by lack of OIganiza-
ton or of central Intelligence in the
charitable field