Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-24

Charity, and at different times to the Gwynne Home
and the Children's Mission. Each of these agencies
then communicated with, and conference of
those most interested called In view of the
problem arising through the woman's illness, new
plan for the family worked out the medical social
worker of the hospital contributing her knowledge of
the present physical needs Two of the children
manned in the of the State; the Massachusetts,
Infant Asylum took charge of the baby until the mother
again we'll enough to receive it. work found for
the man; and the Hebrew Benevolent Association fur
nished visitor who could talk intelgently with the
patient
TN the past it has perhaps been natural for the we'll
TODD to dispense their charity without much thought
to whether their neghbors might not be aiding the
very Individual whom they were about to help.
The story IS told of a Jewish family about whom
Settlement House called up the Social Service Exchange
in large city It turned out month later that this
family referred by benevolent man to the Asso-
ciated Charities. He about to give the mother
hundred dollars. Through the exchange the Chair
ties called up the settlement and ascertained that the
woman who was widow and had formerly been most
independent in spirit was becoming demorallzed owing
the number of people who beginning to help her.
The that the head worker OF the SETTLE
men got in touch with the charitaby inclined and
persuaded him to give not the sum he had in mind but
thirty dollars with which milk was provided for the
children Within couple of weeks another society and
individual who had been approached by the mother
teephoned the exchange and put In touch with the
settlement worker. The latter finally got the family
back on normal basis, helping it Judlcously with
money and advice until it able to stand alone
That the poor themselves appreciate the value OF
earnest cooperative efforts undertaken by the societies
for their welfare is illustrated by striking incidents con-
tnualv coming to light. One mother in large city
walked eight blocks from her work for twenty three
days order that she might be with her baby tor
brief interval every She realized that it
ceiving particular kind of attention at the hands of
the nurses beyond her power to bestow.
The comparative Responsiveness OF the exchange IS
important to- remember year ago cleveland was
carrying on its bureau at annual outlay OF only
Sl124.l7. Less than thirty thousand families were
indexed on the cards.
In Boston, where the exchange has been longest es-
tablished in point of time and has perhaps reached its
greatest perfection, total of S647Ss3 was spent IN
the year. During that period it was called up 90 436
times. Among those making of it were 80 chdrens
agencies 33 medical charities p relief societies. 81 re-
igous organizations 267 private individuals and 20
associations in other cities Twenty thousand families
inquired about And. strange as it may appear the
clerical force of the exchange larger than IN the
previous year (although its work more than doubled
thanks the introduction of better filing methods the
smplihcaton of index cards, and the elimination OF
copying records.