New Britain herald., 1918-11-14
CHARITY WORKERS
 REJOICE AT PEACE
Annual Report Of Organization
 Tells of Trials Of Year

The annual report of the New Britain Charity Organization, read to the directors last night, outlined the trials and hard work of the past ? months and expressed unbounded joy at tho coming of peace in France. The TO- port follows:
 Joyful, indeed, are we all as we realize that with almost incredible ywiftness during the last four months, has come the end of the Great War. We celebrate with thankful hearts. with shouts, with music, with inn promptu parades---and in the general demonstration of rejoicing find re- lief also for our feelings of anxiety and sorrow of the past month, due to our home calamity, the influenza cpl dGmic.
 Hand in hand with our thankfulnesS for the abatement of the disease, is the feeling also of joy in service; of being able to contribute our little bit. to the splendid work done by our city in fighting the disease and aiding the sufferers of October 1918.
 The Charity Organization here ex- presses it's appreciation and thanks to donors who responded to the appeal for necessary gifts of money, for bed ding and for food. It again thanks the volunteers who so splendidly came to the rescue when the entire office force was i'll with "the sickness and gave immediate relief when 1t was necessary,
 Organizatio Gives First Aid.
 For several days before the Auto co11 1nI Ji Charity Organization, knowing that although there was no immediate call for aid, felt that they should respond to the first emergency need, so the little Ford runabout carried Visiting Nurses back and forth to their daily increasing number of calls. After the spiendidly organized work of the Visiting Nurses Association, in con- junction with the Auto Emergency Corps, with their helpers, Home De- fense Nurses, nurses trained. domestic and volunteer, was In full swing, there came the need of aid in many families heretofore self supporting. Many living right up to their incomes found nothing ready to meet the de- mand for medicine. extra nourishment. fuel and so on. Others with a little extra laid by saw it rapidly melt away often because they paid the physician at each visit, thinking pos sibly that only one member of the family would be i'll. After father, mother and all four babies had been through a siege of 1t the little bank was empty. In just such an instance multiplied by many, the Canteen Kitchen proved 0 friend in need, sending prepared nourishing food until one member of the family was well enough to cook the meals.
 When it. came no longer necessary to continue the Kitchen, the list of those still needing food to be provided for some time, was referred to the Charity Organization. over and again no fuel had been obtained for the winter and local dealers kindly made 1t possible at our request for a supply 10 be left with the sick families. Many of these families received extra bed ding which was sent at once, either new bought with Charity Organization funds which had just come in to an- swer to our appeal, or bedding nearly new was passed on to them, this hay ing been sent to the Charity Organi- zation for just such a purpose.
 Help Given to Many.
 Not only are visits being made and food and fuel given, where aid will
 
 back at work, but there are mothers left widows, children, six and seven, under twelve years of age, in one fam fly left fatherless, with no provision for the coming years of hardship. Fathers, still bewildered and stunned by the sudden death of wives look for advice and aid In providing care for the babies and plans for their future Young parents, still weak from illness, b5reft of little ones need comfort and sympathy and 8 helping hand to steady them through the trying days Families with the common rounds of everyday life running smoothly have been shattered by sickness and death The plan of living must be all built anew. Herein do we find our greatest work--our hardest problems. Carefu establishments, plans of aid for the coming winter, unnecessary except for the result of the epidemic, aid where needful to convalescents, plans fo1 the future so that just as soon as possible families may be again self. reliant, children placed with proper guardians-are but part of the problems to be solved at once.
 Already the Social Workers Con ference. comprised of the Weltar' Workers of the city interested il family life, has met at the Charit! Organization rooms to consider jus such important questions. A syste matic plan is being worked out where by the exact number of orphans ant half orphans needing immediate car' will be ascertained and the care sup piled as soon as possible.
 At the request of a representative o the United States Employment SerVic Bureau, our Social Workers Confer once voted to aid in the coming re cruiting campaign which was to in crease the numbers of available wo men for the factories.
 This has been indefinitely postponet