New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-02-07
CITY MISSION DOES
GREAT DEAL OF GOOD
Reports at Annual Meeting Show
Scope Of Work Carried on

l
evening at the South church when
Miss Caroline Bartlett, superintend-
ent, presented the following report
| showing the scope Of the work ca3~
riod on:
The object Of the City mission
! seems to be something not very Woe
| ly known in New Britain, and "A tele-
phone inquirer is not the only one
| who has asked just what our place Is
| among the various welfare organ1za-
| tions of this city. 1t seemed sood'
therefore, to some who are interest
ed in the work of the philanthroplc
agencies in the community that at
this. our annual meeting, the pur-
pose and methods of the City mission
| should be set forth somewhat eX-
pIicitly in order that the uniformed
| might have a more definite idea in
| regard to our work, even though we
I run the risk of relating to others
many things with which they are al
ready familiar.
The object of the City mission. as
set forth in it's constitution, is as
follows: To promote the spiritual.
moral and social welfare of the city
Of New Britain. especially of those
who are not reached by the ordinary
means of grace. Some Of the ways
| in which we are attempting to carry
| out this purpose will be reviewed as
briefly as possible.
Home visitation is carried on
| throughout the year by the superin-
| tcadent and her two assistants, and
| in this work ample opportunity is
| found to endeavor to fulfil our pur
pose, for the spiritual moral and So
| cial needs of the people whom we
visit are many and vital.
The homes visited are those of our
| Sunday school and sewing school
| scholars the members of our mothers
| meeting, of the Italion mission, of
those who come to the office for help
! or advice. and of any, who, in any
| way, need the help that we cal give.
| Sometimes the visit is made because
| of sickness in the home, when we
may have need to call in our friends,
| the visiting nurses. who are always
ready to respond to our requests;
| sometimes, because Of pecuniary dis
tress, when the assistance of one of
the relief societies may be sought;
sometimes to sympathize with d
| mother whose heart is aching because
a little one has been taken from the
| home; or perhaps, to see about Sc
| curing board for a baby who has
| been left motherless; or to counsel a
| father whose boy is beyond his con-
| troll: or to cheer someone who is
| lonely or shut in and has few friends;
or to attempt to straighten out do
meStic infe1icities; or, in connection
! with. the home service committee, to
render any assistance needed in the
homes of soldiers or sailors; or to
give Bible instruction to someone
who is seeking to know more of the
hI>ic
for visiting in the homes
| are as varied as the needs of the
human family; and although our
ability to solve their problems and
overcome their difficulties is entirely
! inadequate, and far below what they
seem to think we possess, we can at
| least show our desire to help, and
that goes a long way among friends.
Spiritual and Moral
We seek further to promote the
| spiritual, moral and social welfare of
| the city by means Of our Italian Sum
| day school, a weekly mothers meet
ing, the two sewing schools, the
housekeeping class, the two evening
clubs--one for the older girls, the
other for some of the boys of our Sun
day school and their friends. The
Italian Sunday school was started a
little more than three years ago by
the minister at the italian mission of
the South church and his daughter,
and when their departure left it in an
orphaned condition it was adopted by
the City Mission workers, who con- ,
tinue to carry it on
THE interest that the children man
ifest in the spiritual truths taught is
most encouraging, and we feel that in
this class we are reaching those whose
lives would be almost barren of Bible
teaching were it not for this oppor-
tun1ty. At first they showed but slight
interest in the offering, but when we
began to send gifts to war sufferers in
Italy, their interest suddenly in
creased so that now the Stacker who
has failed to bring his offering cannot
but feel that he is looked upon with |
scorn by his fellow-m embers who, not |
many months ago. considered it no
disgrace to come empty handed. One |
Sunday when the announcem lent was |
made that from the 80 members pres
ent we had received 80 cents, one boy |
with a beaming face announced:
TIL make it forty!' and his smile
would have done Justice to the last !
1000 of q war work drive.
When the suggestion was made |
that each one should try to bring a. I
new scholar, a little S-year-old girl |
whose shining black eyes and respon-
sive face greet us every Sunday from /
the front seat, not only brought an
other girl with her, but continued to |
call for her to see that her attendance |
was kept up. On a recent Sunday, |
Concettas place was vacant, some
thing most unusual, but just before
the lesson began she appeared with |
her scholar and said in apology for
her tardiness