The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1918-09-04
Red Cross
Report

q Red Cross War Councils:
q The War Council of the Amer.
Z lean Red Cross has planned to
issue a series of reports to the
American people concerning
the use of the first Red Cross
War Fund of 100000 900 and
the plans so far perfected for
future work.
The first section of these re.
ports issued today covers the
work of the Red Cross in caring
for the families at home of
Americas men in militant ser.
vice. The report on this sub.
Jet is as follows:
More than 300, 900 families of
American men i'll service have
been relieved of money troubles,
legal difficulties, family wor.
ries or of depressing loneliness
BY the Home Service of the
Red Cross. This branch of Red
Cross activity has 10000 men
aud women serving on its 10, .
900 Home Service committees.
1t has reached into remote com
munities where there had never
been organized social effort be.
fore. 1t has established the
closest cooperation in the lar
ger centers of population with
the organized agencies of pub.
lie welfare. 1t is spreading a
doctrine of intelligent substan.
tial neighborliness on behalf Of
the fighters families and back
ing it with an expenditure of
over 300, 900 a month.
These expenditures have been
made out of money raised in
the communities themselves
aud reserved from the amount
contributed 10 the national Red
Cross war fund. The direction
OF each town and county's
Home Service work is left to
local committees. National
headquarters is seeking only to
guide and aid in organizing the
neighborliness of each town for
It's own men in khaki.
More than 100000 people
have been helped by these local.
committees since the war began.
Money has been, certainly, the
least valuable contribution of
Home Service TO the welfare of
communities since men began
TO go into training camps, but
II amounted to 81, 800, 900 for
the first six months OF the
present year and will probably
exceed "a 900, 900 for the second
half of the year. BY January
!, 1919, Red Cross will have
spent in Home Service work a
total Of $G,000,00O and will then
be carrying Il burden, probably,
OF nearly 81 .000,0 900 a month.
More important than money
are the other kinds of help that
are being freely given. Prob
lems in soldiers and sailors
families have arisen from sick
ness, worry, backward or un.
fhly children, perpleXities in
household management, bust
ness and legal tangles, mental
depression and sometimes mere
longing for the man gone
away. These things keep sol
dlers' families from happiness
sometimes when there is no &C.
tual pressing need for funds
and Home Service committees,
by enlisting the aid of physi
clans, lawyers, business men,
successful housekeepers and
teachers, have successfully aid
ed thousands of families to ov-
ercome such troubles.
Difficulties arise out of the
failure of some dependents to
receive their allowances or al.
lotmcnts under the War Risk
insurance law. AT least GO, 900
Inquiries concerning such pay
ments were received by the Red
Cross through Home Service
committees during the month
OF July and more than Il third
OF those were taken clear
through to headquarters by the
information service in the effort
70 get matters straiphtenedo nf.