The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-01-18
THE LEAGUES WORK
SOCIAL SERVICE REPORT CON-
TAiNS INTERESTING ITEMS.

The monthly report for work in
the Social Service office contains
some very interesting items. One of
the things most noticeable this winter
is that, regardless of the high cost of
living, and the advance in price of al
most every article needed to prolong
life, there seems to be less suffering
and poverty this year than last. Con
Isequentiy there is less demand for
public or private relief. Eleven new
cases were added to the list of those
who have been helped by the Social
service office, eighty three cases
were continued and received nelp
during the month of December who
had help previous to that time; and
/ three hundred and twenty three cas-
es on the lists were not heard from
This makes total of four hundred
and seventeen cases which have
I been helped since the organization of
the office several years ago.
OF the eleven new cases during De-
cember, seven were married couples,
one couple We're separated, one was
a single resident man and two were
widows. The primary cause for APP
plication for aid in each case was:
industrial accident in one case, acute
illness in four cases, old age in one
case, non-support in one case, incom-
potency in one case, insufficient earn
ings in one case, and two cases were
not decided upon, there being several
reasons why they should have help.
In five of the eleven cases they asked
for coal, in one case they asked for
a cash loan of fifteen dollars, two cas-
es wanted general aid, one family
asked for food only, and one of the
famil les was that recommended to
the office by the Des Moines Social
Service office. ...
Institutional care was given in one
case, the person being taken to the
county home. Material relief was Sc
cured for one family from a church
in the city. Used clothing was given
out in thirty-one cases.
Ten trampssmade application at the
Foffice. The tramp problem has dwin-
died down until there are compare
lively few applications as compared
with the number last year. Four of
these tramps accepted work in eX-
change for clothing; and one months
lodging in the county Jail was refused
in two cases. Two of the tramps who
applied were cripples, and in two 9th
Ell cases the office did not have the
clothing which they wanted. In every
instance where the tramps wants can
be met by clothing, he is given work
to do, and this must be done before
the clothing is given him.
Cooperation with, the Des Moines,
the Ottumwa and the Omaha Social
Service offices was secured during
the past month, which means that
they helped Oskaloosa with four of
her cases by giving information con-
corning relatives in their cities.
The donations for the Christmas
work, including the Union Thanks
giving Offering totaled $8097. OF this
amount $46.15 was paid for Christmas
baskets, and si:ty-five cents was
spent for food out not at the Christ
mas time. another fund borrowed
$3.50 from he Christmas fund, leav-
ing a total cash balance of $31.67.
One local dealer gave five tons of
coal at Christmas time, one man gave
two new boys suits, and one man
four little brothers. The p e. o. So
ciety made two dozen outing flannel
petticoats for little girls.
Thirty visits were made into homes
during the month of December. One
year ago last month one lady gave
500 to be spent for school children's
clothing. That fund ran out on Octo-
Der Goth, 1916. Clothing was purch-
ased seventy-two different times, for
forty-six different children. The pur-
chases included one pair of trousers,
one hat, one suit, fifty-three pairs of
shoes, two pairs of hose, four suits
of underwear, three pairs of mottens
one girls coat seven pairs of rub
bers, and miscellaneous clothing was
purchased once. This was an out of
town lady who was an Oskaloosa
resident, and those in charge of the
office state that this was just about
the biggest help the office ever re-
ceived in any way, and did the most
material good.