Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-15

DAY IS A BUSY ONE
Social Worker Delivers Several Ad
dresses to Different Audiences
In Churches on Sunday
Y. Good Attendance.

Sunday was busy day for Miss
Bessie A. McClenahan, the social
worker who is spending few days in
Ottumwa in the interests Of the work
of the associated charities.
In the morning an address was CIV
en- by Miss McClenahan at the East
End Presbyterian church and In the
evening at the West End church Of the
same denomination, this congregation
and that of the Benton Street Presby.
terrain church uniting in the service.
This afternoon meeting for women
was held at the Hedrick school and
on Sunday afternoon at o'clock Miss
McClenahan gave very interesting
talk before good crowd at the First
CONGREGATIONAL church. She discussed
the associated charities work from all
|standpoints and very clearly laid be-
fore her hearers the plans that have
been followed out in other cities to
successful degree and which would
probably be arranged for In Ottumwa
should it be decided to carry out this
work here.
The speaker took up first what she
called, "the human interest side OF
associated charities work. She stated
that many people were of the opinion
that this work meant great deal OF
! so-called red tape and that the organ
ization consisted of a great deal of
cieties and departments, all OF which
would complicate the machinery OF
regular procedure. They believe that
great deal of time and effort are Of
ten put into the effecting of such de-
tails as have no direct connection with
! the matters at hand.
Real Service Is Goal.
1.-THE fundamental purpose Is to be
of real service" said Miss McClen-
ahan. "and after that we say, Now
what are real needs of these people! 2
What do you think, are they clothing,
groceries and home; is that the end
of our efforts, will that satisfy? The
associated charities work came into
existence in order to help these PEG,
ple to maintain self respect and to at,
| tain self respect In this work we
are dealing with the most delicate
thing existing, individual personality.
1t is the touch that comes through the
worker that means so much, in fact 1t
means everything. Each family Is It's
own problem and the questions must
be worked out in conformity with the
individual needs and circumstances
surrounding this one family with
which we are dealing and not with
some other which has gone before or
which may come after. They must
be solved in accordance with the
means Of this particular party or
parties. It is necessary to and out
first what they need, then supply them,
| next find out how they came by their
Ipresent, circumstances and try to 70
move the cause.
another fallacy which is often be.
lieved in is that OF the associated
charities advocating the doctrine OF
tearing down the home. 1t is exactly
the contrary: 1t stands for the main
|tenance of the home; of raising the
standards there and Of establishing
the family responsibility. One thing
| II does stand for and that is that II
does not allow the children to come to
1.-THE Office for help. Assistance must
be asked by the father or the head OF
family and it is then that we are aoie
to get the greater insight into tneil
needs. One of the great problems Is
the floating population, those VINO
drift in and out and this brings up tne
question of the rooming houses where
family of four or five will be eating
sleeping and living in stuffy garre'
room or two damp, dark cellar holes.
Reason With Men.
!; When the men call and lay before
LUIS their cases then we reason with
them and attempt to show them the
necessity for maintenance of their fam
tily on an adequate basis and they see
then that they will never be able tc