The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-15
Annual Report Associated Charities
Shows Constructive Force In Control
Total Number Of Families Listed During Year Il
615, Compared to 815 for the Previous Period,
Owing Largely to Changed Conditional
Standard Of Living.

Number Of families carried over
from 1917. $50: number OF families
renewed, aided in years previous 70
1917. IS; mum Der Of New families not
previously aided. 81.
Total. SIS.
The following analysis will show
the character Of the families aioeo
during this period:
Women with Dependent Children.
1884,
Forty-riine widows, 113 children:
forty seven deserted women. los chill
dren; four women, husbands IN JAIL,
- children; four women. insane nus
bands, 8 children; ave women. physi-
cally disabled, Is children.
1918.
Forty-sfx Widows, 1877 children;
nineteen deserted women, So children:
two women, husbands In JAIL Gig chill
dren: four women. insane husnanda,
elk children; four women. huehands
physically disabled, eleven children;
one unmarried mother. one emilio
You VIII observe that the problems
involved in carinE for the families
are modified a. compared with pre-
vious years owing to the changed con-
ditions. Women with dependent chill
dren. including widows, deserted wo-
men, women with husbands IN JAIL
women with insane husbands. women
with physically incapacitated nus
bands, and unmarried mothers anow
considerable reduction.
Rclaa ilitatt0n of Families.
Five hundred and ninety-four fami-
lies were carried over from the pre-
vious fiscal year {1sf6) and 3S6 fami-
lies OF these became self-supportinG
during the fiscal year 1917. as follows:
1917.
Twenty eight widows. so children
IS deserted women, n children: SIX
women, husbands in Jail. II children
two women, husbands insane. 1--WE
children: two women. tuberculosis
cases, four children: ~ aged couples;
80 individuals: SO unemployed, !34
children: as temporary sickness. i44
children: seven improvident cases, IA
children: &c families. drunken fathers
40 children.
-Four hundred families were carried
over from the previous fiscal year
ns17) and 2Ss families OF these be.
came self supporting during the hscai
year 1918. as follows:
1918.
Thirty.one widows. rs children; 80
deserted women. 81 children; one
woman. husband in jail. FIVE children
one woman, husband insane. one
child four women. tuberculosis cases,
10 children: 20 aged couples. rs aged
individuals: IS unemployed, SO chill
dren. g. temporary sickness. lb1 chill
dren; 10 improviient cases. 81 chill
dren.
The work Of rehabilitation OF fani-
lies involves a clear conception OF the
primary cause OF the trouble. with
due regard to the secondary causes,
which give compicxity to the case
and unless clearly viewed In their re-
lation 10 the primary cause. are liable
TO confound and mystify. Treatment
OF secondary cause& which are largely
yynptomatic, may alleviate the
general situation, but a clear dag
nosis mus, always be before the mind
a. to the primary cause OF trouble
No treatment can become enectfve
unless the source Of trouble Ii reached
Constructive charity means the
location Of the sources of strength In
the individuals or families. Any de-
velopment which comes must be built
upon this foundation. Where there
Is inherent in the family economic
capacity for self-sup sort. the greatest
injury which can be done to the
family is to ignore this economic
strength. Often the applicants have
lest their grip on life and become
despondent, feeling that they arc
.ufitd1al tn fffT' = stYItRs~4a w. h'Ns s@s''
Judgment and Common Sense.
After consultation with physicians
and assuring ourselves that there Is
no physica, basis for such belief.
moral suasiou. and IL necessary. sub
stantiai coercion must be applied to
throw them back on their native re-
ha yytu
ciriie form upon tn ,ir own problems.
Each family is dealt with as legal
unit ana in no case where the in
herent capacity exists within the
family for self-support do we seek
to pass on" the poor relation to the
more industrious relatives. thereby
seeking TO coerce them to do for the
poor relations what they ought to be
taught to do for themselves Kin
ship is sacred and never should min
'ste- to improvidence. shiftiessness
for work Every encoura ment
must be given. but In no case Is IL
wise to provide crutches where the
need r. not we'll founded.
In dealing with this CLASS we are
often misunderstood and at times arc
thought to he. indifferent and ursyn.
pathetic. hut we must adhere hrmiy
10 our course and create the temper
ament conducive to application. Sem
timentaiism, nm the part Of the we'll
meaning individuals. often thwart~
our purpose. The ANAL test ri
efficiency IN the administrat ion Of aid
IL the reha utilization Of those who are
able to take their places in the ranks
Of self-supporting citizens, An ex-
perienced worker receives great
pleasure in observing the growing
se,f-resrect <h,ch ZONES from the
recognition ny individuals nf their In
creasing ability to. care for them
selves and vraxter their own problems.
The conditiors during 1917 and
1919. az previously intimatcd were
most favorable for this work. EN-
ployment was easy to. obtain. Temp
fation TO drink. with all Its concomi-
tants, was LARGELY eliminated and
such were confronted by the task Of
earning 4 living. with none OF the
usual excuses available. Front q pur-
view Of the. classification Of those who
graduated from our care will be seen
the Influences at work.
ReRulars Dlminish.
Worthy Of notice 10 the dimuniticn
of the number Of families who were
continually appealing to charitable
agencies, owing TO drunken husba nds.
They made few claims upon ms dur
Ing this period. but gradually became
leHs. We, Of course. have few who