Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-15
NEED $3.50 TO COMPLETE
OPPORTUNITIES FUND
Total OF Ss7o.5O Has Been Con.
tributed for Second
Ten Cases.
DUTY OF ALL TO HELP POOR
Many Boys and Girls OF Unfortunate
Parents Struggling Hard to Keep
Up School Work in Order to Grow
Up Useful Citizens.

The fact that Sill were received yes
terday for Opportunities Nos. II to 20,
| indicates that the people Of Richmond
realize that their money will not be
wasted when applied to remoIding tho
| crumbling foundations of Richmond
homes. With only s13O.50 to be raised.
the campaign managers are proud of
| the response so far recorded. and are
confident that, IL those who should be
grateful for the opportunity to giye
! these families square deal. will not
regard the work as done. the amount
| asked for will be received to-day and
the foundations of five moro homes
| made secure.
$4,000 had been acknowledged. The
SILL received yesterday brought the
| total up TO sl.o4l.5O. which. when
added to the sl.24S given to take over
the first ten Opportunities. makes. the
amount raised for the twenty cases pre-
sented total of s2,2S9.50. Four OF
the Opportunities were closed with
Thursdays returns; No. Is was taken
up yesterday by many contributions
For No. IL only sG.25 is needed; for
No. ~. s49.5O: for No. IA, $3.50: for
No. 16, $24, and for No. 10, S1S.25, tho
last five Opportunities offered to the
public for social service where circum-
stances have been Investigated and
found to be tho lot of those without
blame. and not OF those with the stain
OF fault on their hands.
There are lots Of people chnritably
Inclined who would like to be of genu-
inc benefit to those lin hard luck" when
they know they are worthy OF the help
invited. This is the manner Of think
ing of those who believe that 81 in
well-directed home missions Is worth
tenfold that when devoted 20 cause
confused with the invisible scheme of
things abroad. Rev. James Buchanan,
secretary Of the Associated Charities.
thinks that no one need wait for n bet
ter opportunity IL feel the ''incom-
municable thrill OF altruism" than the
five remaining CASES yet unpr5vi led
for.
No. II is the case OF delicate widow,
with four thin and emaciated children,
whose Eaunt eyes are pathetic with
"why-don't-y ou-help-us?" gaze. Yet
these children, who are to grow up to
be men and women, arc struggling to
keep In school both during the week
and on Sunday. that they may be saved
from the maelstrom Of ignorance and
poverty. No. 12 displays the tragic
fate of worthy family when the head
Of the house, workinEman with pride,
falls heir to scornful incapacity. No.
l9 indicates what can befall a healthy
man, who never knows his luck, when
accident assumes a cynic'S guiSe. Nos.
Il and 16 tell with thickening voices
the fate of that mans family who is
slipped up behind and hacked down by
that insidious traitor. the great white
plague, and no one knows but he may
be the next.
1T is with regret" wrote a contribu-
tor yesterday, that cannot make a
greater contribution to the most worthy
of causes which The Times Dispatch is
sponsoring through it's Opportunity
column. In other years there was al
ways great need on the part of the
unfortunates Of Richmond for assist
ance. but never before has this need
been so great and never before has it
been brought home and demonstrated
more forcibly 10 those whose circum-
stances permit the helping OF others
War has forced the prices OF every
thing skyward. Last year, and the
year before. commodities were more
within the reach OF the poor of the
city. To-day the condition Ut the coun-
try is such as 10 cause concern among
those more fortunate in worldly goods.
If strong men have difficulty in earn
ing a livelihood. what must be the
problem confronting those unable to
work for thei- daily bread?
Conditions arc such that suffering
Is bound to result in Richmond, and
the first touch OF winter has Just
reached this city. It Is the duty OF
every man, woman and child to help
those unable to help themselves. 1t |
matters not how great the assistance |
is. SO long as it is the most that per-
sons can afford. My only regret is that |
my circumstances prevent greater as |
sistance, for to my mind there could |
be no greater or more deserving cause (" ]