The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-07-06
HOW RED CROSS
HELPS FAMILIES
OF our DEFENDERS
Place of Bread Winner is
Filled in Time of
War

(By w. Frank Persons, Director
General Civilian Relief, American
Red Crosse
When the National Guard was mo-
| bilized last summer a young doctor
left a wife and two small children to
go with the Hospital Corps of his
regiment to the Mexican border.
| Within ten days after he departed
his little family was penniless. They
had no near relatives on whom they
could call. Here was a college gradu-
/ ate, a capable professional man of
good social standing, who saw his
family left destitute because he an
swered unquestioningly the call of his
country.
| This is only one of a class of cases
| that is multiplying by the hundreds
and thousands throughout the coun-
try since the United States entered
| the graf war.
The average family of the enlisted
man in the United States army and
| navy belongs to that class which is
| largely dependent on the regular
earnings of its men. husbands, faith
ers, and older sons. It is made UP of
! the self-sustaining and self-respect-
| ing. Their margin Of economic safe
| ty is often slight.
To carry on the work of caring for
the families of those engaged in de-
Tending their country the Red Cross
will exercise great care in selecting
| the personnel of the workers. It is
evidently impossible to engage a suf-
ficiently large staff of trained work
ers to deal with the problems facing
US. Even IL possible, it would not be
desirable to exclude willing and ca
/ u Ill -
ever, to exercise care in selecting
these volunteers and to provide sys-
tematic training before they begin
their work. At least one trained So
cial worker should be employed, not
necessarily on salary, though that is
! usually, an excellent investment.
! Through cooperation with schools
i of philanthropy in large cities, sys-
| tematic courses of instruction are Of
fered to volunteer workers.
The Department Of Civilian Relief
of the New York County Chapter, for
example, has well-trained corps of
| sixty-eight volunteers. The paid
! members of their staff now are the
Executive Secretary and stenog-
rapher. Since their work, opened on
April 9Th they have ministered to
about one hundred and fifty families.
These local staffs include, besides
visitors, doctors, dieticians, lawyers,
teachers, business advisors, and other
4 professional assistants who are on
call for free service at all times
In order that the enlisted men may
know of the means provided for the
i care Of their families during their
absence, the New York County Chap
ter has sent a circular letter through
lregimental headquarters to all the
men as they enlist. The great ma
jority of soldiers seek advice as to
the best arrangements for the COM
fort of those left at home, or the sim
pie request that the Civilian Relief
Committee keep an eye on the home
that the father or brother or son
may go away assured that whatever
happens to him his loved ones will be
in the hands of helpful friends.
One man, an American, who wrote
English only, had a Hungarian wife
who read and wrote only her native
tongue. He merely asked that the
Civilian Relief Committee act as a
medium Of communication between
himself and her while he was away.
Another father said his family was
4 self-supporting, but that he had a
crippled child which needed medical
attention. The Committees physician
found that the child was suffering
from the after-effects Of infantile
paralysis, and merely needed physical
exercise. A tricycle. was bought fol-
the little one, and that was all the
material aid the family needed.
Families are found who need regu-
lar financial aid. This is granted
with careful regard for conditions in
way to promote self-help as well
as to avoid privation and anxiety.
The work of the Department Of CT
william Relief has only Just begun
{ When our big new army is actually
modified it may be increased a hun
dred-fold. It's success, Of course, will
be determined by the amount of SER
= vice and money the public is willing
to give for this purpose.
unM0p npnERs ONLY