Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-19
HOME SERVICE WOMEN
ASSIST 5000 FAMILIES
Organization That Started With
Three Workers Now Has
Nearly Four Hundred

me workers OF the Home Service Section
OF the American Red Cross whose worl, IN
the influenza crisis has been heroic. are now
giving every kind OF assistance to more than
'Voo families in Philadelphia and its environs
IN spite OF the fact that most OF these
workers are young women-often very young
"o'neh--and quite unframed In nursing. their
take pride in ~s
The regular help given families OF enlisted.
men @neu mas been the overseeing of the general
NeHsre OF those families. If there was sick-
tSS' tae WORKERS procured medical assist
SS,,ce IL there was financial trouble, the
rome Service would give helm there And
me comfort Of the enlisted men was greatly
Increased by the knowledge that their wives
ana Daoies were in reach of ready assist
ance no matter what their trouble
The spread Of influenza gave the workers
new opportunity to be Of the greatest
possible service
Inc workers are especially proud OF one
young member Miss Caroline Lewis whose
story was given in spite of her protests that
any human being would have done the
Same. she was told in reply that her chief
virtue had been that she used her brains"
In Bereaved Home
MiSs Lewis looks more like a pretty lnrh
Hcuool giri than woman who is working at
no child's play.
Going home from work a few evenings AFRO
she passed a little house in one of the poor
sections Of the city. The SON a sailor had
uieu OF influenza and had been buried from
the house that morning Two Of his n, arried
sisters had come on for the funeral seven
other members Of the family OF eleven were
down with the disease The two sisters also
were stricken
Miss Lewis entered the house to find four
OF the family on mattress in one little
room. two on the couch and the mother with
Two young babies in another room The
iuheral candles were still burning Miss
lewis could not get help then, but herself
gave all she could, buying food and milk
Tor the children and caring for those who
We're i'll TO the best of her ability. -Four of
IN" family died. and Miss Lewis had the
podies taken by the Coroner. while she man.
aged TO procure hospital rooms for the others,
who are recovering.
The Home Service Section of the American
Red Cross now occupies not only Virtually
the whole OF the large house at 6O7 Walnut
street Cut has now spread out into district
Offices and is still looking for room to es-
tablish more offices. Besides those at 81
Lancaster avenue. 10 West Chelten avenue
and 1868 North Mascher street the Home
Service is in need of rooms for Offices in
the southwest district-that is. south of
south street. and west of Broad street TO
the Schuylsill. and in the northern part Of
the city. from Poplar street to Susquehan-
ma avenue
Had Small beginning
-Four years ago the Home Service. which
was not then branch of the Red Cross con-
sisted by Mrs. Henry G. Boyer Mrs John c.
Groome and stenographer. There was q
modest little Office on Rittenhouse Square
ana the work was just a good thing or two
done az the right time.
When the American soldiers went to the
Mexican border tho Home Service was able
TO increase its good offices by giving help
both to the. men and TO the families left be-
hind. About 1000 families received help from
the Home Service at this time.
Mrs Boyer aughingly tells Of an occasion
when Mrs. Groome came into the little Office :
and suggested second secretary to 'help
about the office bit" Mrs. Boyer properly
suppressed the idea of such extravagance.
Today there are e!ghty-four salaried workers
in the offices and more than 800 volunteer
workers.
At the outbreak of war between America
and Germany Mrs. Boyer and Mrs Groome
were asked by the Mayor TO do the same
work for the families of the enlisted men.
and this service now bee ; branch of the
Red Cross.
There are several departments of the work.
which has grown complicated with increase
of size--legal, application recording. work.
ers' and clothing and supplies departments.
The organization is well nigh perfect. Espe-
cially interesting is the department through
which clothing is given out in almost stag
gering quantities.
Consider Quality
A request comes from this department to
donors to the effect that in making donations
the quality Of the garments be considered
with regard TO the pride OF the women who
are to receive help from this department.
These women, wives of soldiers. whose
financial difficulties rise largely from sacri-
flee to the country do not deserve the hu-
initiation OF having to accept a certain type OF
charity The Home Service tries to make
the gifts of clothing durable. Often there
come i'm donations OF warm coats and new
underclothes, but the great difficulty now
lies i'm getting these supplies to the applicants
in time Messengers are nearly Impossible
to get, and the girls have hard time not
only in making UP countless packages OF
babies clothes and winter garments but in
getting them to the post or to the applicants
The work of the Home Service is not ex-
pected to stop after the war. but will prob
ably be divided into various committees OF
social service which will be a lasting benefit
to the city.