The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-02-04
Agents of Associated Chair
ties Help Whole Families
Better Themselves.
KNOWN NEEDY GET
AID IN ALL CASES
Practical. Indexed System Reaches
the Deserving in Thorough
Manner.
By SELENE ARMSTRONG.

anyway. / liked the weepy, unOrgsnized
kind L subscribed TO the charity that
visits the needy instead Of indexing
them BIZ the card system in that cold,
iHpersOnal way which somebody said
was the way OF the Associated Chart
ties.
pracJiced the charity which gives a
dollar here and dime there believing
that though these generous sums viii
lot DO any good, after all. the happiness
lies in the giving OF them
And. so, why should one who thinks
t.is way about Il give his perfectly
Eood money 10 the fund which the Joint
T-uaHce Committee IS raising II order TO
carry on the work being done 0y the
Associated Charities and The Citizens
Relief Association
Visits Social Worker.
That Is why spent today with one OF
the social workers Of the Associated
Charities. I knew 7 should abhor the
stereOtyped- fmpeTsOnal methods Of her
work. and that 1 should never want TO
S.ye any money at ali 10 this fund for
organized charity I knew this, but
proving il was another thing
L vas 9 o'clock when the charities
worker opened her little Office, located,
ike seven others maintained by the As
s0Ciated Charities, in the heart Of one
CT the poorest and most coEgested us
IIlctS OF the city
The visitor soon learns that IL This
tIay ROOM poorly almost meaniy fur
TlSned, but InmaCUlaJely clean and
heated comfortably by the small stove,
there beats The very pulse Of the neigh
uorhood-
The telephone rings continuously. The
ClN sion agent Of the CHdTlJe6 Is con-
FuiEed on every question, from the a1-
visibility of getting a divorce from the
'-uo-COunt' husband. TO a remedy for
mix. and eggs Tor the sick dispeusa-y
AID for deficient children and afflicted
grown people fuel. groceries and meals
md lodging are some OF the necessities
for which the social worker receives re-
quests before her days routine fairly
begins
Surely all this sounds rather personal.
The skeTtiCai visitor thinks. beginning
10 feel a biz uncomfortable
IT Is true We do not give these
-f=Dgs unless TIE case has been inves-
ligatei, asa proven needy explains the
Associated Charities division agent
often we find that those Who come to
Us IN alleged need are allied with two
OF three different cbU -Ches. and are re-
CeiEiuE siG from the N all
The cIEIdTe1 81 Esucl people are 0elnS
rFaAed a. professional beSSefsr Wiio
IN rheir turn. VIII bring in the world
50 many social parasites In her
thorough investigating Of poverty cases
her refusal 10 psupeTlze BY continually
s-iviu= aims, and her determination 10
help every able-bOdied man 70 help him
self. the social worker Of the Charities
IS to society What the surgeons knife
Is 20 diSeS Sc
Charity Is Personal
II the visitor still doubts that the
charity Of the Associated Charities IS
personal and no, institutional, in char
acter let him remember that the office
work Of the division agent. with its
dozens Of telephone and personal calls
during Office hours represents but e
small part OF her service.
Let him accompany her. as I did to-
day, on a mission Of friendly visiting
Threading our way through alleys
where no friendly sun has vet warmed
last weeks snowdrifts, and across va
can't lots We came at length 70
Uretched .boEel-. The entrance was OBJ
S-ructcd by broken chairs. old kitchen
utensils. barrels half filed with stand
iuS water and by a variety Of filth
and rubbish Within the tiny room
serving as Kitchen and living apart
l.eut for nan and his wife and three
c1itdren. The evidences or poverty,
thrift essupss. and unCleaniineSE were
weTI-niEil unbelievable-
The family was enjoying the 10
O'clock breakfast. which is the luxury
- the rich, and the sliftiess poor The
children. umbathed and JuCOmbe6 for
am indefinite period the Uukempu an
nraTauCe OF the mother and father, and
-ho 9th and SGuaIOT OF the small room.
bespoke only too plainly Tne hopeless
TeSS OF th- situation which confronted
was evfdenr. would absorb funds fndeT-
nitely without pvO6tjng permanently by
money dO-lartOns-
"Takirg Way With Dirt"
The mother explained that they were
eIgnt months behind with the rent;
that Il was no use 20 battle the children,
IS children had such a taking way
with dirt" and the father told sheepisn-
y that he mad gone TO work this morn
d.
OF several rnlies-lo get cup Of coffee
and some bread.
Through it all. the friendly visitor
vas smiling, patient and faCtfuI. And
somehow, without in the least trying
to do so. she secured the promise OF the
mother TO take the sick child to the dis
pensary for treatment she suggested.
without OffenSe- that the children were
TOO pretty not % ne bsthed and dressed
each DAY: and she knew where the
father could gel permanent work
This. yOu see Is only my second
visit she remarked, stOiCaIly, when We
we're breathing the good air of the
nIoEev &c would be spent each dav for
f"od and drink We viii teach the wom-
an cleanliness and thrift. viii insist
Epan the mans beng 1ndustrlous ana
providing for his family. and the chill
GTen seeing only good example IN the
ELes OF their parents.
Inc reform OF a whole fanily-not one
family only. but hundreds with which
these social workers come III touch
every o2E OF the year. thought OF
how easy IL is 20 slip a coin IN the hand
Of a beSgaT. then OF the UNIV arying
patience love. and service which II
taxes 10 teach man not to beg, and to
rep hlu ind his work in the world
ana now I want TO give my money
and I hope YOU do. t0O-hOweVer modest
%: generous the amount TO the Joint
nance Committee Of the Associated
Charities and Che Citizens Relief AssO-
cation, which are serving the poor by
destroying their poverty
Lecture On Charity.
what washington people are doing for
CT arity VIII be tOl, I'm q lecture BY Dr.
walter : sUnord -t the Church OF Our
Father. Thirteenth and i streets north