New Britain herald., 1916-10-18
JUST ONE DAYS
 WORK BY N. B. |. 0.
Interesting Report by Miss Osborn
 Of Her EndeaYOrS

Just $214 has been received. by the Charity Organization in it's Dollar fund campaign which is already in
 It's third day. When times are as prosperous as they are at the present
 there is no reason why the people of | this city cannot contribute a dollar to help along the cause.
 Miss Elsie c. Osborn, the agent
 of the organization has taken a page
 from her work of the day which ] should interest many that are in
 doubt regarding the usefulness of l such a thing as charity. The report l FOLLOWS and goes to show that all is l not bed of roses as some may think:
 Early in the morning came a wom- l an who was reported as stranded and penniless the night before. Why 1 these people wait till so late at night to make their wants known, remains mystery. She had been fed and comfortably ld1ged by the agent and had now come to talk over affairs. As usual she proved to have friends near at hand although supposed to be homeless and friendless and she was placed on the train. her friends be- ing notified by telephone of the time of her arrival.
 
 including a friendly note from a. woman helped long ago; requests from out of town societies for calls to be made on local relatives of fam lilies they were helping; a plea from a state organization for statistics; a. letter enclosing a check from a lady for child she is befriending; a bill for groceries which had only to be checked up before being sent to the friend of the family to pay for; and letter asking for aid for certain family.
 Answers must be made to this correspondence, also inquiries sent out to other Charity Organization so- cieties and notes of thanks to donors to the Agents Special fund
 Gradually callers began to come in a young girl for whom suitable home is being found; doctor to consult about aid for the family of a patient; a lady to ask for present address of family she has long been interested in; and another friend who brought box of warm, useful cIoth- ing. Next homeless man dragged in asking for clothing but being invited to exchange and leave his cast off shoes, he decided to keep what he had so long as there would be noth- ing extra to sell for a few cents Work being urged upon him, he hur- ried away mum bling something about a weak heart. Then a woman ap- peared asking for an occasional days l work to do. After the addresses of 1 several households needing help had i been given her and the housewives | notified by phone of her coming. she rorot 01Itf f0 1o+o two days work secured for each week. | After this a man called to report that ] a certain family would need no more l aid, as the head of the family, recent 1 ly released from jail, had just re- ceiVed his first weeks pay. Soon the mother of seven children came to ask for extra school clothing and for pair of shoes from the special shoe fund and following her came wo- man whose husband is very i'll so that she needs weekly grocery order. A perplexed father had left the factory in order to talk over family affairs, and after him a mother came to en- list help in getting better paid po- sitlon for her daughter. During this i time a committee met to talk over one phase of charity work in this city and then an old friend called to ask for pair of shoes to be exchanged for little work. Before he left a lady brought in an arrfu1 of flowers from her garden to give to forlorn call CTS at the office and a widow came to make anxious inquiries rega rding the insurance she carries. Next an ad- Verlslng letter was brought for ex- planation, the smooth statements and generous phrases of a western firm had nearly hypnotised one poor wo- mon into a written promise to pur- chase something she had neither money nor use for.
 After schood a little girl appeared sent by her mother to ask for cloth ing. She was sent away smiling but empty handed as it is against charity organization principles to encourage children in the art of begging Soon alter a woman came to report an al- legged swindler and he was followed by a little girl one of a widows five, all of whom are under nine years of ago.
 She wished to have the charity or charity organization explain the mean ing of note sent home from school to the mother wh cannot read a word of English. During this time the tele- phone was constantly in use A school teacher phoned regarding one of her children; doctor inquired about aid for his patient; a lady informed her workers of a new arrival in this city who must have baby clothes at once; several ladies telephoned in their fruitless quest for maids; one mother asked for a girl to act as nursemaid after school hours and a note was inn mediately sent to a possible candidate Numerous calls were exchanged with the public charities and probation offi- cer comparing notes with certain fam flies. lady enquiring about a char ;table solicitor at her door was re-