New Britain herald., 1915-05-13
MSS OSBORN TELLS
 HOW RELIEF IS GIVEN
Agtnt Ex,.aIns HGW Charity OIgaR-
 jz]|iO.1 Does Much Wlh Little.


 pended for relief work by the Charity Organization for the month ending April 30 was $10O.53, and n her mcn1hly report submitted to tae di- re ctors last night, Miss Elsie |. os- bern, the agent, gave an interest ng explanation of how it is possible for t.le society to do such a remarkably br pad work on such an exceedingly small expenditure.
 Miss Cora M. Beale, the assistant agent gave report on tho state Conference of Charities and Cc1rec- 'ons, at Stamford on April 20 Miss Osborr.e left yesterday for the Na- tional Conference of Charities nd Corret tions at Baltimore.
 Of the thirty-two new Cases or poverty during the month, eleven were caused by unemployment, eigatJ os sIi1tlcssness and vagrancy, four non stippo and the rera:.inder for ctl:er causes. There were 204 applicatio IS ft !. services, 1S4 eases were handled anl twentyfour were given aid-
 Miss Oscbor-ls Report.
 Miss, Osborns repor- follows
 A man who is thoroughly familiar with the work of societies. such as ours in many cities, said not long ago, "It seems to me that your society is doing 6 remarkably broad work on an exceedingly small expenditure. How do you manage it?' We told him it was as hazardous an occupa- ton as raising a large family on small means,--but later on we gave more thought to the question.
 That we as q society take for grant ed in the way of ratio between large results accomplished and small ex- penditures made, might seem to others less acquainted with our work a mis- statement, or all overstatement.
 Our success in this line Is due to our harmonious relations with relief giving organizations in the city and throughout the state, and to their un- failing willingness to lend hand. We are incorporated as society for that very purpose--to secure aid from var ious sources, each in it's own particular line,-even as our special kind of re- lief work is emergency aid,-and they call on us for our speciality as freely as we call on them.
 Manner of Aid Given. Because tho public has a right to know, we publish each month a care fully computed statement of the the amount of cash expended for groceries, coal, shoes, medicine, etc, by the treasurer from the general funds.i and by the agent from the special sums of money handed to her personally.
 Likewise each month we report f,;t f,,1I ha ef ixil ,Jc who have received this aid from our : funds. The number is comparatively small. If this were all the money spent for the average of thirty new families a month whom we befriend to say nothing of long continued friendship in many other instances, ours would be sorry kind of charity. Does our report look as if We be- believed in skimping actual relief and merely coming in strong on the per i sonal service end We hope not. That l would be far from true. The two must go hand in hand. The fact that this month fifty-one out of the 1S5 calls from applicants were made by those who came expressly for such | friendly service and advice, and the l fact that again and again we were able 1 to serve those who came for aid or work or clothing, by suggesting some l new avenue of improvement, or some undreamed of possibility. does not in- I dicate for a moment that we believe l in sllimping relief.
 The plain fact is that we are not l 9 relief giving society only If that
 were our sole aim we should simply l open a free department store with ! clothing. drug and grocery depart | fyon nfx.c c,1 II 1 l on the side. l Run Second Hand Department.
 The people who come to us certain l ly do need all these things, and this 1 winter we have been running q
 fiourishing second hand clothing de-