Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-16
CHARITIES OFFICE DOES NOT LACK
FOR VARIETY IN THE DAYS ROUTINE

A day in the office OF the Associated
Charities with it's variety of duties,
meetings with the types that go to
make up its visitors and the mixing
of the humorous with the pathetic,
forms the subject for the following in
teresting account by Secretary Sara A.
Brown, of what an ordinary day In the
charities ONCE consists Of:
Have you ever spent day In the Of
fice Of the Associated Charities? No?
Well then let's spend one there and
really see what they are doinl, in that
organization which Wapello county
two years.
o'clock In the morning and Is usually
preceded few minutes by the assis-
tant secretary, who opens the room
and get things In shape for the day.
She finds waiting a transient" who
declares that fully dozen men and
women have refused to give him a
hand out" asking him to come to tho
Office for work. After careful OK.
PLANTATION as to the plan to give him
work for his meals he graciously &C.
cepts the chance to work and is given
on order on a restaurant for his dinner.
The assistant explained there was
little opportunity for non resident men
to secure permanent work In town and
should he not secure employment that
he should return and work for his
meals rather than beg for them.
The assistant then fastened to one
Of the first tasks OF the day. She
carefully went over her personal cal
endar made out the regular relief or
ders for that particular day. Some she
mailed to old persons too feeble to
come to the Office and entered all IN
the proper account book Then she
checked over the temporary scratch
pads of the previous day transferring
to permanent registration cards all
new names and addresses.
The secretary opened her desk with
the work Of the previous day to be
put in permanent form, letters to
write, others to answer and the FOL
low up work to map out for immediate
attention. The phone rings almost be-
fore she is seated.
Husband Leaves Family.
A landlady has family problem on
her hands which she wants the associ-
alton to help her solve. In one OF her
houses lives a travelling man and his
family The man IL inclined to be
away at times longer than he leaves
provisions. The wife knows the true
condition Of affairs but she also knows
that II her husband should discover
that she was asking for help he would
be angry. She Is just a little afraid to
go very far But today matters have
progressed rapidly. The little woman
is sick and the husband has been gone
two or three days longer than the gro
ceries and coal hold out. The wife and
children are left without anything to,
eat and little coal. The landlady has
given them their breakfast. The secre-
tary goes out to visit the family. She
finds that the people are strangers In
the city and really have no legal resi-
dence. To tide them over the present
crisis the emergency grocery order
fund is drawn upon and coal consign-
ment Of the same class Is sent to
them. This begins long drawn out.
tedious process by which the secretary
is finally able to locate their relatives
one of whom comes to care for them
during sickness.
Thankful For Visits.
The door opens to admit frafl. little
mite Of woman. She comes In to
show her appreciation for the friendly
visitor which had been sent her sew.
eral weeks previous. The visitor OF
her own willingness to help, had be
come friend to the woman, had OF.
ten visited, conferred and advised with
her about her family and household
management.
The woman has four small, frail
children and the father Is detained In
q state institution. He takes away the
family's only means Of support. They
are cared for entirely through the
county's relief department.
Old Man Wanders.
The telephone rings again and mes
sage comes over the wire from a VII
lage Of the county. They have what is
known in the charity ONCE as the non
resident problem.
An old man nearly 80 years Of age,
who lives In Minnesota wanted to go
back to a Kansas town where he had
formerly been In an institution for old
soldiers. When he reached there he
found that he had lost his legal resi-
dence and could not be admitted. So
he started back to the little Iowa vii
lage where lived brother. There he
became sick and the brother was un-
able to care for him.
The secretary sent telegram to
the town in Minnesota. An answer
came that day that his relatives would
gladly care for him and to send him
on Immediately. He was put on the
train for Ottumwa. When he arrived
here the secretary met him. saw to get.
ting him transferred and started him
back to the home Later card came
from him that he had arrived safely.
Also the secretary was reimbursed for
all the expenses incurred, amounting
to $4,000.
.... Girl Makes Report.
Soon after a girl, who had been pa.
rolled to the secretary over year ago
in juvenile court came in to report
She had been placed through the CO.
operation of the Travellers Aid, in
private home and had practically be-
come one Of the family The girl was
fairly bubbling over with gratitude to
everyone who had done so much to
protect and direct her into the. Neht