New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-03
APPEAL FROM PRISON LEAGUE
Mrs. Ballington Booth Asks Christmas
Cheer for Poor Families.
he Editor of The Tribune

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Year after year you have given me
the opportunity of bringing to the thoughts
and hearts of your many readers the need
Of the wives and children of the men In
prison. have been grateful for this
chance, because it has brought to us a lib
eral response from many who only needed
to hear the cry of the Borrowing to quick
ly answer 1t with practical aid.
The further / so in my prison work the
more do realize that upon the innocent
falls the heaviest burden of suffering, SO
far as physical privations are concerned.
These men who to-day are working for the
state, however hard their lot. have at least
warmth, shelter. food and clothing. but
they have left behind poverty stricken
homes. There we have found hard work
ing and broken hearted mothers. whose
struggles for existence are appa1lingly
hard, and little ones, who are often poorly
clothed, insufficiently fed and lacking at
this glad season all the joys and comforts
that make Christmas the iong-lookedfor
delight OF our happier little ones.
Being so closely in touch with the pris-
come to know OF poverty that would be
are mot beggars for charity Many of them
are very self-respecting. and they often
suffer III silence. We know of hundreds of
homes where this Christmas there would
he DO Christmas cheer but where real
hunger, cold and poverty would reign, I'M
less we can step in at the right moment
with the gifts that will Danish these enc
mics of the Christmastide gladness.
t.
poor promiscuously but--we do plan to
carry Christmas into hundreds of homes.
Each case is investigated, and warm cloth
ing will be purchased to fit every child.
while groceries. dolls and toys viii be add
ed in the packing of every Christmas box.
We also give chickens fruit, vegetables
and fuel where the need is the greatest and
in those homes within our personal reach.
May I ask your readers TO help US in this
practical charity? Any donations of cloth
ing, toys or money will be most acceptable.
They should be directed to Mrs. Darlington
Booth, Volunteer Prison League, No. "a
West 18th street, New York City.
We wish it distinctly understood that the
Volunteers of America Is a duly incorpo-
rated society; that our books are properly
audited, and that cur treasurer will send a
receipt for every dollar received and will
hold voucher for ever dollar expended.
This appeal is my only means of raising
the funds necessary for this work, as L
send out no solicitors, nor do We beg pub
licly for this branch of work.
In the past the response has been gen
erous. but the need has always been
greater than the supply of help, and our
hearts have often been heavy with the
realization of what We have had to leave
undone. 1 confess that this year l face
tie Christmas season with anxiety and
can only pray that many hearts among the
happy and fortunate may be touched by
the thought of these prison Swallowed
homes, and that they may help us to bring
in the sunshine of Christmas good will to
these who are not only needy, but worthy
of their sympathy and help. --f
----.- MAUD B. BOOTH
f Headquarters, Volunteers of America
New York, Dec /, 1910.