Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-05
HOME SERVICE HELPS
 30C.O0O SOEDIERSy EAMu HE'S

In the first of a series of reports to be issued by the war council of the American Red Cross concerning the use of the first Red Cross war fund of $100, ,00o, GOO, the work of the Home Service is described. This work has a branch in this city.
 More than 308;000 families of Ameri- can men in service have been relieved of money troubles, legal difficulties, family worries or of depressing loneli= i ness by the Home Service of the Red Cross. This branch of the Red Cross activity has 50,000 men and women serving on it's 10000 Home Service committees.
 1 The expenditures of over $4Oo,O0O per month have been made out of money raised in the communities l themselves and reserved from the amount contributed to the national i Red Cross war fund.
 | More than 100000 people have been helped by these local committees since the war began. Money has been, cer- tainly the least valua ble contribution 1 of Home Service to the welfare of 1 communities since men began to go tinto training camps, but it amounted i to $l,500,0e0 for the first six months i Of the present year and will probably exceed $4 900, eco for the second half of the year. By Jan. 1, 1919, Rcd | Cross win have spent in Home Servies, work total of s6 900 eco and will then be carrying a burden, probably, of nearly S1,c00.0 600 month
 l More important than money are the other kinds of help that are being freely given. Problems in soldiers and sailors families have arisen from sickness, worry, backward or unruly
 children, perplexittes in household mana cement. business and legal tan gles mental depression and sometimes mere longing for the man gone away. These things keep soldiers families from happiness sometimes when there is no actual pressing need for funds
 and Home Service committees, by en- listing the aid or physicians, lawyers,
 business men, successful housekeepers and teachers, have successfully aided
 thousands of families to overcome such troubles.
 Difficulties arise out Of the failure
 of some dependents to receive their
 allowances or allotments under the
 war risk insurance law At least s0.-
 000 inquiries concerning such pay
 ments were received by the Red Cross
 through Home Service committees
 during the month of July, and more
 than a third of those were taken cleat
 through to headquarters by the in
 format;9n service in the effort to get
 matters straightened out
 Men in camps in this country or OF
 the firing line in Europe are in touch
 practically all the time with Red
 Cross field workers who can in re-
 sponse to an appeal. get word to the
 Home Service committee in the fight
 ers home town. The importance ol , this in keeping up the morale of men | r1 hvF, hnc eSSNC 1F again by officers in France. A wor-
 ried soldier is not good soldier, and
 the Red Cross is saving soldiers from unhappiness by taking care of theil
 families and then seeing to it that the
 soldiers are informed that things are 1 right.
 As a further contribution to the
 morale of the American armies, Home Service workers are carrying on g nation wide campaign to encoura ge the writing of cheerful letters, in or
 der that soldiers shall not be alarmed
 about their loved ones left behind.
 Plans for the future contemplate , the development of this program in , tensively. It is already possible to say
 that there is practically not soldier , in the American army nor the family ; of soldier out of reach of a helpful , and sympathetic Home Service worker and as the army grows to 5000, o0(
 men the plans now fully organized can be strengthened to bear the great , 1 CT burden