New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-09
Y. w. C.. A. Shows
Expansion Plan in
Appeal for Funds
5000, 900 Sought in To-Day
Drive to Continue Rapid
Advance Which Doubled
Membership in One Year

"Few people realize how enormously
the work of the Young Women's Chris
tian Association has expanded in New
York City since the war;" said Mrs.
William Fellowes Morgan yesterday.
Mrs. Morgan is president of the New
York City Y. w. C. A, whose campaign
for funds for local work begins TO-
morrow. Six hundred thousand dollars,
100000 of which will be spent in New
York City and the remaining 100000
for national work, is the object of the
present drive, planned to last 10 days.
"In fact" continued Mrs. Morgan,
$50 rapidly has the work grown and so
busy have the members of the associa-
branches that few even in the organ
ization itself appreciate how big we
have become.
within the last year our centres of
activity have increased to 27. These
include centres Of branch activities,
where recreational and educational
work of the association is carried on;
war work centres, association resi-
dence and Cafeterias. There is no
part of the city which is not touched
by some of the work. Our seven CEN
tres cover the central part of the city,
the West and East sides, Harlem and
The Bronx, and include the Colored
Women's Branch the French Branch
for French and Swiss girls and the
international Institute for Foreign
Born Women. Two fine big buildings.
both in Harlem, one of them for the
colored girls of the city, are under
construction and will be completed be-
fore fall
"Through its war work centres, which
1,1G $un
the wounded and their rels tives, fam
lily house where enlisted men and their
wives can find accommodations, and a
recreation centre for colored men, the
New York City Y. w. G.. A has been
able to do a much needed work.
"The Needlework Shop has been able
to provide employment for many moth
ers, or wives who could not go out to
work but who had become self-sup-
porting because their men had gone to
war.
"Within the year two new residential
houses have been opened for girls in
New York. This makes eight places
where girls can find congenial temper
airy or permanent homes with the Y. w.
G. A. between Sixteenth Street and
Harlem.
Thousands of wage-earning girls
find the well-cooked and inexpensive
meals of the associa TONS six cafeterias
"a godsend every day. These cafeterias
are conveniently located in the business
sections of the city.
Better proof of the Importance of
the work which the association is do
ing in this city cannot be found than
the fact that in 1918 it's membership in
creased fifty per cent, and the number
of girls in it's educational classes from
less than 5000 to nearly $4,000.
"The association is doing a great deal
to improve the physical well-being of
the girls CT New York. We now have
two big swimming pools for women.
Two others, one for colored women, are
being constructed and four gymnas-
ums, which will be increased to five
when the new building of the Harlem
branch is opened, are also under way.
During the period of great demand
last year for women to take the places
of men in the industries our en-
ployment bureaus placed 5000 girls
in suitable positions. These bu-
reaus are now taking their parts in the
reconstruction period by finding places
for girls who we're doing war work
and now must find other occupations.
"In fact, the work has increased so
much during the year that we have
found it necessary to issue a little
magazine, The W. to keep ourselves
and our friends informed regarding
what the New York City Y. W. C. A.
is doing. The first number made its
appearance in January, and succeeding
issues will follow every month"