The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-20

NEW YORK, June ls.~-Supplylng
brains to the needy, who could help
themselves II they only knew how. Is
the new and novel service being rem
6ered in this city by the New York
Diet Kitchen Association OF l West
Thirty fourth street as its contriou-
f.on to the general campaign of phil
unthropy to wipe out poverty.
Adversely knocks the ignorant help
less. When the blow fails they do not
know what to do. Within their grasp
as all times is relief. lavishly pro-
yided by charity. But they are igno-
rant of its existence. It seldom comes
10 them and they do not go to H.
Then hunger, disease and finally death
claim them Such IL the experience
90 tho welfare workers Of this asso-
ciatiou.
Realizing that II is really a point of
contact between poverty and charity.
this association has added this relief
work to It's activities of furnishing Cer-
titled milk TO infants and invalids and
iustructiug mothers at conferences in
its stations in the care Of their chill
tiren.
.'Ry gaining the confidence Of the
people in the districts in which we
operate we have developed into the
unique position Of being point of
contact between charity and poverty
Al IRIS CITY. SEt1l MISC Al - ASf"i'A''''s
superintendent OF the association, yes
terday. This burden, which is
marked departure from our work of
safeguarding the health OF infants, has
been thrust upon us, but we have az
surned IL cheerfully. as like every other
institution doing welfare work we are
interested in alternating the trials OF
the poor.
ITO make our work of instructlng
mothers In the care of their infants
most effective we found that II would
he necessary TO so into the homes to
see that the lessons learned at our
conferences on mothercraft were
faithfully carried out in the homes.
This led US to employ nurses to 90
home visiting. Frequently infollowing
q mother or child into home our
nurses there discovered some other
member of the family in need of help.
either a father incapacitated from
work by tuberculosis or another child
eaffering from some crippled condi-
ton or a mother deprived through
Illness from properly caring for her
family, Not being in relief WORK our
selves we instructed our nurses TO re-
port such cases to the proper charity,
From a mere incident of our work
this activity has not grown into a
definite department
gained the confidence of mothers.
They trust us where they would ques-
ton others. Our milk has aided their
children. so they believe our advice
VIII do likewise. When one OF our
nurses tells n mother how to find re-
lief for a sick member of her family
she usually follows our instructions
reiigfoualy. They go 10 the institution
to which we refer them and are really
Benefited. Frequently. II it were not
for our work. some family in the grip
Of disease would sink down until 1t had
become n charge on the public and was
sent to the poor house.
From It's very nature our work con-
sfste almost entirely OF supplying
brains 10 the needy II IN knew
what to do they could easily help
themselves. But frequently they are
foreigners who cannot speak the Ian
ruage. and this impeachment automat-
icaily operates to deprive them OF the
initiative to seek out relief. Then,
again, they are suspicious through ig-
norance. and like the person who VIII
not make will for fear Of death. they
will avoid a hospital as a pesthouse
To combat these tendencies we win
their confidence and then diplomat
calIy direct them TO the proper agen-
cies for relief.
sour nurses are faithful in their
work. They never take up a case and
then neglect It. Frequently a patient
that we have placed in an institution
will violate some law OF that institu-
ton. such as packing UP and leaving
on impulse. This infraction of a rule,
done largely through ignorance. causes
the institution TO take the stand that
IL is through trying to help such per-
son. Our nurse patches mp the diff
Guilty in some way and gets the patient
back under the care of the institution
'fwhiie we have accepted the addi-
tional burden of doing this welfare
work, we find that 1t has cut into the
time of our nurses frightfully and has
placed us in the position of needing
additional nurses In order to handle
intelligentlv our regular work OF car
ing for babies In any other station
st present there Is enough work for
two nurses We need the services Of
at least two additional nurses. The
cost yearly of maintaining these nur-
ses would be So 900. AS our work Is
supported by voluntary contributions
we trust that CbaTitahly disposed per