The Topeka state journal., 1916-10-21
CALL FOR HELP
PrOvident Association Desires
to Enroll "Friendly Visitors"
They Are Not Expected to
Spend Any Money.
JUST VISIT THE NEEDY ONES
Teach Them to Make Most OF
Their Opportunities.
Much Has Been Done Along
This Line in Past.
JUST VISIT The NEEDY ONES

The Provident association has issued
a call today for the enlistment OF
friendly visitors" They are asking
for the volunteering of Topeka women
who will act as friends and counsel
lors to a score and more poor families
of the city.
The services of the friendly visitor
does not mean giving financial assist
ance to the family she befriendS-tne
Provident association will attend to
that But it asks Topeka women with
leisure to fulfill the greatest need OF
many struggling families of the city
the need of a real friend.
perhaps the most effective good
done by the association last year was
thru it's friendly visitors was the
statement made today by Judge Rob-
ert Yates, secretary of the association,
and Mrs. Myrtle Callahan.
"a dozen self-sacrificing women
gave up part of their spare time last
year to the study of the individual
homes they befriended. They taught
buying, in a tactful way they ironed
out family misunderstanding, chill
dren with adenoids and defective teeth
were recommended to the free med1-
cal service of the association. And a
score of squalid homes were revolu-
tionized before the end of the year"
Poverty Due to Ignorance.
is responsible for the squalor of many
Topeka homes according to Mrs. Cal
lahan. 1t is the wifes total ignor-
ance of household management, her
inability to expend wisely the money
that the father of the family makes.
The friendly visitors keep ledgers in
which the conditions of the families
'as they are are noted in one sec
ton and conditions .-as they may be-
are keep in another.
| Last year one typical account ran
something like this:
Father: Earns two dollars a day,
| because of home conditions and the
nagging nature of his wife spends his
evenings at the drug store or pool hall.
| Mother: Slatternly, never has
meals on time, gets her husbands $40
or $12 every Saturday night and by
| Thursday or Friday it is all gone, and
the table-fare is slim. No knowledge
of good buying and utter lack of sys-
tenn. Nags husband for staying away
from home.
Three small daughters: Always
dirty, allowed to play hockey without
particular remonstrance from the
mother.
The boy, IL years old and only
in the third grade at school; has ade-
| noids, absolutely no recreations or
| particular interests
The Reform Side.
On the reform" side of the ledger
| the visitor made memorandum such
as this: ITO show in a tactful way
the essentials of hcusework to the
mother; the providing of a schedule
! of buying for the weekly income; the
careful adjustment of relations be-
tween husband and wife; the planning
of inexpensive diversions and enter
tainment for the family; the awaken
| ing of pride in her children's appear
ance in the mother
The bow was directed to the free
medical service of the association and
his adenoids were removed. The Wis
itor procured him Y. NJ. C. A. mem
bership thru the efforts of Secretary
Hoyes, who has list of business men
of the city, willing to help a deserv-
| ing boy toward membership. The boy
is now making progress in school, and
the character of the home has been
revolutionized, thru the friendly ef-
forts of a friendly visitor.