New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-04-11
CHARITY WORKERS
ACTIVE IN MARCH
Excellent Report Presented to Dr.
reCtorS by Miss Beale


report of the association activities
during March, for the directors. The
report in full is IS follows:
ITO the Directors of the New Britain
Charity Organization
'Organized charity provides
channeY not for your dollar bill to
reach the pocket of tho poor fellow
you wish to help-YOu could see to
that yOurSelf--but for your dollar
bill to be converted into a service that
will help far more effectively than
could the cash alone
May we recall q statement often
made that the Charity organization is
not and never can be primarily re-
lief society. Just as in medicine it is
necessary to ascertain the cause of the
difficulty and then to treat it sclentlt1-
cally, so it is in social work.
Our aim is always to provide the
city with workers who might be called
specialists, specially able to cope with
social diagnosis and treatment. We
endeavor to restore when possible the
families who come to us for AID, TO
a state of Independence, that they and
their children may become self-re-
specting and self-supporting citizens.
This could never be accomplished
by work restricted to relief giving, but
relief should be given, at once and
regularly when needed. Over and
again do we explain these Charity
organiza ton methods because often
Is the amount of our usefulness based
upon the dollars and cents of the re-
lief bills.
In these days OF conservation OF
food clothes, and all material re-
serve our human resources. We must
do our part in making our men and
women, our boys and girls, our babies
here at home, into competent and ct
fective citizens.
Here are families hindered by
moral, mental and physical defects,
and thus not equipped to be normal
burden bearers Of a community. Our
fighting men are subject to thorough
examination and must submit. Why
not the same be done for those that
| stay at home, for those who are to
people our nation and work here for
| our country? Here is our patriotic
! duty-to recognize their handicap, to
protect them and while fighting for
| demo- lover there" to see to it
! that the lives here are made as useful
! as is in their power and that SO Tar as
! we can make it possible there will be
| equality of opportunity at home. For
! unless the people of our city are good
! citizens, unless our children are
| saved from preventable diseases, and
| from death, unles they are trained
to do their utmost, our democracy
may fail. Someone has said that we
must carry on, in times of war even
more than in times of peace, these
activities that mean a better, saner
more intelligent nation.
The Charity Organization has dealt
with 112 different families during
March, twenty-one Of which were
new against forty-three new ones for
March 1917. Although we are hay
ing less new families for considera-
ton each month in comparison with
last year the total number dealt with
remains about the same. There were
298 applications for service, twelve
Of which came from out of town,
nineteen from public officials, sixteen
from private societies, six from
churches, eighty-six from interested
individuals eight from local schools
and the remainder from applicants
direct.
Visitors from amongst our citys
people interested in our work and
/
! lie how everyone's time is fully oc-
! cupied with regular and extra. work
| during this strain of many calls for
| war relief Nevertheless the needs of
| our homeland and home people must
not be neglected and we urge our New
| Britain friends to keep the hom e-fres
| burning.
Last March a special plea was
! sent forth for the use Of an auto to
| help the Charity Organization in rem
| dering better service. Today we are
| able to save time, come in touch with
| many more families and do a better
work because of having our own run
| about. Aside from twenty-four bus
! inese calls we can account for 149
visits in behalf OF our families. Many
| problems were settled by telephone
| TO the number of 234 interviews
Our groups of volunteer workers
who gave hours OF service last year
| in Charity Organization work are all
busy at regular employment now, in
| offices, government work and social
service, more than one finding the
| knowledge gained in the classes and
| practical training Of the last two
! Years of great benefit We are glad
to thus enable the young women Of
our city in giving better service even
| at the loss to ourselves Of the help
full assistance they rendered.
| Fourteen families received tenn
| porary weekly aid and twelve emer-
gency aid. The treasurer's fund paid
relief bills to the amount of S104.50
and the agents special fund $685.
! Ten pairs of children's shoes were
| purchased by the special shoe fund
| for S19.13.
From outside sources aid was or
| ganized through kindness of physi
, clans friends and discounts allowed
70 +I,o s,1yo Of s25 06 This furnish ed