The Denver star., 1914-09-26
SOCIAL SETTLEMENT WORK.
How Mr.. and Mrs. w. p. surrsiI Arc
Shaping Young Lives.

ShapIng young Lives.
East Orange. y. 1.-The East Orange
social settlement. though but little
over Il year OLD. is one of the powers
for good In Essex county. 1t is under
the auspices of the ladies guild of the
Mum Avenue Presbyterian church of
East Orange. y. j.. of which the fol
lowinS ladies are the officers: Mrs
Geo. X. Howe. PRESIDENT Mrs. Cyrus
Hitchcock. secretary. and Mrs DIR
Charles A. Groves. treasurer.
For fifty years the Mum Avenue
church has taken front rank in its up
lift work for coidred people all over
the country. One.lady of the guild has
been especially uhtiring in her work
for the settlement. Mrs. NJ. L. Cook.
In April. 1913. the services of Mr.. and
Mrs, w. T. Burrell of Virginia were
secured. and through them the settle
ment was organized and placed in
practical operation. The purposes as
taken from the Settlement folder give
clear idea of the work of the settle
ment. 1t says:
The East Orange social settlement is
conducted for the betterment of the
community life of the colored people of
East Orange.
Its purpose is to help people to help
themselves. to extend sympathetic
hand TO those who may. because OF cir
cumstances. feel downtrodden and op-
pressed. to hold open the door of hope
TO every worthy colored boy and girl
and to reclaim those who are erring-
The settlement house is model of
neatness ard cleanliness, and in itself
is "A powerful object lesson to the many
children who come within its portals
daily and who are pleased to call it
home.
Habits Of cleanliness. thrift and self
respect are inculcated. and the chill
dren of the settlement are taught to
be Jealous of their good name. Each
child who is enrolled becomes part
of the settlement family, and Mrs. Bur
rell becomes the little mother" while
Mr. Burre!l is the big brother" of
every one.
AS no two children are alike in dis
position and requirements, Il careful
study made of every child in order to
find out how he or she may best be
helped. Race pride is taught through
the study of prominent examples of
Negro manhood and womanhood. The
children are taught that here is hope
for them and fhat they will be reward
ed according TO their merit. in spite of
their color
The model fiat or home. as it might
better be called. shows that home
can he clean and healthy though hum
BILE and that one does not have to sell
himself to The installment man in or
der to he happy. The settlement teach
es that It Is better to watch the cost
Of high living than to be bothered
about the go called high cost Of living.
Through its cooking classes 1t shows
how one may live well and yet
cheaply.
The doctrine of self help underiies
all the work OF the settlement, and
, the children are taught to depend OH
themselves for success in all things.
The settlement seeks to help not only
the children. hut the parents are also
NISiteN III thcb t'iiitS duu SUE
gestions made as TO how they may
make the most OF life for themselves
and their little ones.
The sick are visited. the hungry are
fed. the naked clothed and those In dir
, tress of any kind receive helpin &
hand. The influence OF the settlement
for good is recognized on all sides
and the Judge of the children's court
of Essex county has commended chi
dren to its care and supervision.