Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-08
Farewell Word on Charity
From Miss Mabel Porter

without such records there is continual
beginning over and over again. which
retards progress. Further. the record Is a
necessary protection to the worker who
cannot possibly remember the facts OF
from go TO 500 families which we handle
in the course OF a month and who has TO
meet from time to time inquiries from
numerous interested persons or organisa,-
tions who want to know the facts and
just what we have done 60 meet the
need of certain family.
I wish Omaha could see things from q
social point OF view. There is n strong
indlvidualistlc spirit here which empha-
sizes 'T" rather than I'VE" and which
can see things only one at a time and
not collectively in their proper relations
ship. There are a number OF physicians
who will swear by Richard Cabot. but
few OF them have caught his point of
view or seem to understand the relations
between social service and the art of
healing. Crowds will flock TO hear Jane
Adams and vigorously applaud her ac
complishments. Numbers OF these same
people DO not believe in organised charity.
They do not seem to know that Jane
Adams Is one Of the board OF directors
OF the United Charities OF Chicago. Nor
do they know that Hull House is one OF
the chief cooperative agencies with the
branch office OF the United Charities OF
that district.
Numbers of public speakers along social
lines have visited Omaha during the last
few years. DR. Charles r. Henderson,
Rabbi Wise DR.. Catherine Davis Miss
Julia Lathrop. Dean Sumner and many
others. The public have crowded to hear
them ana have received their ideas with
enthusiasm. These men and women all
stand for differentiation and co-ordina-
tion in charitable and philanthropic work.
When this city is so much on the map
commercially and so splendidly up to
date along the line of business endeavor
surely Its social enterprises should be
oorrespondingiy up 20 date.
sincerely hope that the public will
continue to support the Associated Char
tiles as they have done In the past. I
hope they Will keep in closer touch with
what Is beng done in other cities.
hope they will learn more and more the
value OF workers who are trained in
social work. and will more and more de-
mand training as a requisite even as the
public demands training OF men and
women in the medical. the legal, the
educational world. And / hope that when
they secure their trained workers, those
who spend all their time In the practice
OF their special work, the men and women
who have the responsibility of financing
and OF giving their moral backing to
such work in hospitals. In philanthropie
institutions and other social enterprises
win learn to give valuation 20 their judge
ment.
As I shall not have time to visit the
many personal friends have made since
/ have been in Omaha, and the many
friends who have come back and forth to
the office. as well as many who by their
kind cooperation have enabled us TO do
for the unfortunate what we could noe
otherwise have done. want 10 take the
opportunity to say goodbye and TO thank
everyone for their kindness
also wish 10 thank In public Mrs.
Freda Timme and Mrs. Anna Bourne who
are still attached to the office of tho
Associated Charities. They have quietly
and unassumingly done a great deal OF
hard and often disagreeable work for the
city. They have been out visiting IN rain
and shine, IN extremes Of heat and cold.
often when they were tired out. They
have shown unusual loyalty and faithful-
ness during all the ups and downs OF the
organization for the last three or four
Years, and while their names seldom ap-
pear I'm print and while they have no
desire that they should do so. vet 1
think their work should receive this public
recognition. MABEL w. PORTER.