The Washington times., 1914-07-21
Georgetown Industrial Center
Raises Money by Prayer and
Affords Needy Chance to
Help Themselves.

eAteHStpe WOTk QOHe Oy Inc gro!
of women who form this organic
tion are described in this article.
By ]. R. HILDEBRAND.
Tue word charity" suggests CIV
ing something for nothing. That
much-used phrase of very modern
social workers, practical charity"
brings to mind a machinery of de-
vices for raising money and card in
dex records Of its bestowaL
One Of the most practical charities
In Washington is the Georgetown In
dustrial Center. BY a paradox worth
thinking about this charity is found
ed on two fundamental principles.
Nothing Is given away.
Money Is raised simply by-and this
Is going to sound unusual to the
modern ear-money Is raised by
prayer!
The promoters of this charity offer
in its defense the plea that both
ideas work.
Charity, like woman's work. is
never done. 1t Is a sort of endless
chain enterprise That 10 why some
folk with a pessimistic leaning would
call charity futile. But. looking at
the same fact from another angle,
the industrial Center has concluded
that the wider opportunities AFFORD
a broader field for service. Hence
an appeal for more members to sup
port their cause and q plan Tor
wider activity of the center.
Result of An Evolution.
The present work Of the Industrial
Center is the result OF IN evolution
Realizing that men and women were
best helped by giving them work.
rather than by giving them money.
a group Of women organized the
center in 1905 and began with a wood
saving class of men. But 1t soon
Was learned that women Seneraiiy
lacked opportunity to work, where
as men usually could get work II
they wished. Those who would not
work elsewhere were not highly sue
cessful in the new enterprise.
The next step was to provide work
for women. 1t was thought rug
weaving would serve this end II
took about s400 and two years to find
out that this labor could be per-
whereas IL was the average poor
woman that the center wished to
reach. SO a plan of making dresses
and selling them was tried. This
also was a failure because of the
same lack Of training and adaptable
ity among the women.
The final step in this evolution Vas
tho plan now effective. which mas
proved to be highly successful. OF
doing simple sewing for hospitals.
The other principal phase of the CEN
ter's work is the secondhand cloth
ing store located at the center head
quarters. at 144o Wisconsin avenue
This store buys none of its goods.
It's stock Is obtained entirely by do
nation. One OF its principal sources
of supply is through the bags dis
tributed among members OF the cen
ter. and others who wish to aid the
center's work. In these the takers
are asked to throw all clothing
which might he resold at second
hand store. The hags are collected
at regular intervals.
Department Stores Help.
Department stores also cooperate
with this enterprise by giving new
goods from their counters when they
are overstocked IT out of fashion
This store serves the double purpose
of furnishing a revenue for the CEN
ter's work. and OF giving many POOR
folk an opportunity to nuy goods at
low prices.
The society now has twenty-five
women on its rolls who are paid for
sewing articles used in five of Wash
lngton's hospitals These articles then
are contributed TO these hospitals.
For the year ended April /. 1914. the
sum of s9S5.54 was paid women for
this work. This does not mean that
the hospitals would have expended a
similar sum, because in many cases
the already overworked nurses would
have been compelled to do the sew
Ing taken over by the center's work
ers.
Though the sewing classes and the
store are the two organized mediums
of the Industrial center's work, there
IS no hidebound restriction on the
of the group. Officers and
Of the center make ev-
cry effort to do personal work where
/ Is needed. This field has shown the
vide scope of opportunity for char
ty within the Georgetown district.
where the center operates.
Recently there came up the case OF
,ne woman who had been trying to
Jay for her sewing machine Tor tnree
years. She had paid SIS. and there
vas $40 more to be paid. But. because
The had fallen behind on these pay
nents. the machine. with which she
lid the work that was her only
means OF support, was to be taken
rom her.
Mrs. Henry ]. Finley. president OF
he society. made an appeal for this
.ase through the bulletin OF her
,hurch, the Washington Heights
The amount asked for
o pay for the machine was doubly
Those Aided Assist In Turn.
Only the next day the woman
whose machine and work had been
aved told OF her efforts to help a
who was about to give birth
o her third child and whose hus-
and was out of work. The money
for the machine, with
he consent of the subscribers, was
iverted to that case. A little later
his second woman brought to the
enters attention a third whose sew
ng machine was worn out and who
ould not afford to buy a new one.
friend of the center made this
roman a gift of a secondhand ma