South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-01
RECORD MADE BY
LOCAL CHARITIES
Association Handled 3,006
CaSeS-Advice Is Given
Many People.

Financial stringency during the
early months Of 1915 caused the
Associated Charities to estab lish a
record that probably will not be
equalled here for some time. Dur
ing the year the charities handled a
total of 1905 cases. the greatest
number in the organizations history
According to Miss Carrie Rein,
former secretary OF the Associated
Charities. who is now in charge of
the Progress club Office. the condi-
tons early in 1915 make it unfair TO
attempt to compare the record made
by the charities with that OF any
other year. The dropping off in
business caused many families to
become destitute and forced them to
ask aid.
The number OF calls in the first
total number for the year up TO
3.OO6, but these requests were for
various kinds Of aid. OF the total,
.1.592 were for material relief only,
such as food. clothing. shelter. furni-
ture and cash. After thorough in
vestigation, it was found possible to
handle only 1,1OS of these cases.
Although the report for this one
particular kind of relief shows that
rn-hich 70 %
attention Of the charities were not
taken care of, the number of other
kinds of cases brought the figures to
the place where the requests equalled
the number of families that were
helped.
Figures For 1915.
Following are the figures for the
various kinds Of aid: Material re-
lief, 1892: transportation, 10; care
for sick, SO; special service for chill
dren. such as school attendance and
guardianship, 10; institutional care,
2; securing homes for old people. g.
work, temporary and permanent,
.5S7; service only, such as legal ad-
vice, investigation, counsel. locating
persons, $40. Cases on which the
information is lacking number 81.
Following are the figures showing
the number Of cases in which relief
was given:
Material relief. 1,10s; care for
sick, 8: work. 265; service only, SIS;
arranged care for persons through
other agencies, 172; requests not full
filed after investigation, 665; re-
quests withdrawn, So; information
lacking, ia.
Though the figures show that 5000
calls were made during the year,
only 1,247 families were aided. Elk
perience in charitable work, accord
ing TO Miss Rein, has shown that the
nationality and the marital condi-
lions Of the families have much to
do with cases of restitution.
Reports for the year along this
line show the greatest number of
families requiring aid were from
Europe Nineteen European coun-
tries were represented by 6SS fam
lilies. The next highest were native
families of this country. there being
SIS white and 2S Negro families from
the United States. Eight were citi-
zens Of some other American cOun-
try; four represented three Asiatic
countries, and of the remaining "A
the nationality was not learned.
Many Investigations
Investigation Of the marital rela-
tions gave the following:
Heads Of families married, 7O7;
single. 273; legally or otherwise sep
arated, 215; co-habiting couples, Z;
homeless children, 7. OF the IS
whose social state was not learned,
most of them were transients and
persons for whom other cities were
inquiring.
Cooperating with the Associated
Charities in caring for families we're
the following: Trustee Witwer. DO
lice department, schools, board of
children's guardians, Humane So
ciety, juvenile court, Anti-Tubercu-
losis society, Salvation army. In
dustrial home, Auten Relief corps.
Visiting Nurses association. I'm
promptu club. Y. w. c. A. Y. NJ
C. A. Children's dispensary, Flor
.ence Crittenton circle. Indiana Free
Employment office. Polonia club.
Warsaw Charity association. Hun
garian Count Szczesny society. Sun
shine circle, Ayudadora circle. St.
Patrick's and ST Joseph's confer
ences OF the St Vincent de Paul So
ciety, Lasalle av. mission, Rescue
mission, board Of health. county Jail.
Circle of Mercy, St. Joseph and Ep-
worth hospital.