New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-07
AN ILLUSTRATION


A onesboreman, his wife and six children lived in
three-room fiat in a congested quarter OF Nev" YORK
When the relief visitor called she found the t~hS'
six months old, suffering from malnutriuoh'
C The rooms were filthy.
q The husband idle and the woman was mar
ferent
C The mother and children made dolls hammock'
for 40 cents hundred
C The services of doctor and nurse and special
nourishment were provided for the babies
Groceries were ordered for the family.
Work was secured for the but he refused to do
it, feigning illness -
The mother kept the children away from school for
no and did not take the twins to the oisPehsaV'
instructed
q The family continued to live in hth, the parents
showing no inclination to help themselves
Severe measures had to be adopted by the visitor
q The family notified that further help would be
refused until the children sent to school and the
twins were taken to the dispensary
q The church of which the father and mother were
members promised to pay months rent and to buy
shoes and clothing for the children
Ct The agent Of the tenement said the husband had
worked steadily until his strength gave out
Enforced idleness had discouraged him.
q After that it was the old story-ndiference drink
poverty and lowering Of the standards OF the whole
family.
The agent had helped them for the sake of the chill
dren but became discouraged finally
C The visitor appealed to him to give the family one
more trial under her direction, and he consented
When the visitor called the next time she found the
fiat in an amazingly clean condition
The husband had secured job porter through
the agent OF the house
The children were clean and attending school.
From that time the family improved rapidly
On The wife washed off the walls in her fiat and the
husband polished the furniture
To encourage them the agent OF the house gave the
husband months rent and the church paid another
The beer pail disappeared from the dinner table
The husband told the visitor that he had learned the
lesson of his life and promised he would never drink
or loaf again.
q And he has kept his promise.
That Christmas the Association sent dishes and
bedding and oilcloth for the kitchen
The agent Of the tenement bought new school out
fits and shoes for all the children
q The woman did not know how to cook properly and
through ignorance she wasting the family income
course of lessons by cooking teacher soon rec
tilted this
q new owner of the tenement refused to make
needed repairs in the Hat
C The visitor reported conditions to the tenement
House Department. and the landlord compelled
to act
q During the summer the mother and children were
Sea Breeze the Association fresh air home TO
gain strength.
The Oldest boy secured his working papers and later
began work as GRAND boy, earning $3.50 week.
Ct The Association still keeps in touch with this family
through friendly visitor and unsalaried volunteer
worker who reports the trained visitor and is directed
by her
When the oldest boy is sixteen old the Asao-
citation plans to help him to enter a trade school,
Before the methods of efficient charity used to
put this family on its feet again, it known to
church. dispensary and a friend hopelessly dirty.
shiftless and incorporate
Ct To bring about these results the Association
ployed the services of relief visitor friendly visitor.
nurse and detitan; gave food and other necessares
and sent the family to Sea Breeze
q Temporary relief to lessen poverty given hrst
q An investigation and the organization of
followed
The causes of poverty eliminated, thus effect
ing cure.
Preventive work was then done to keep the family
from falling again below the poverty line.
Finally friendly visitor put guard to watch
until the family safely beyond all social and indus
trial pitfalls.
This was one of the 777S families that the Assoca-
ton aided and treated last year.
q The problems in many Of these homes much
abode.
q In others they are more difficult.
q A number still under treatment and will be for
time.
We need your help to provide temporary relief and
personal service that suffering may be lesscned and
poverty cured among those in and those
who will appeal to us for help during the winter.