The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-11-11
Condensed Report of Home-Service
And Civilian Relief Sections

Tt>re have been $50 soldiers and
sailors cases and 3s2 Civilian cases
making a total of 1912 cases taken
care of by the Home Service Section
during the year. this does not include
the number Of cases under observa-
ton. some Of these cases required CON
stant attention during the entire year
while most OF them extended over
period OF several months.
Employment was secured during
the year for between so and 100 ex-
service men. nfa
The amount OF money expended by
these two departments sf551.5T.
Of this sSS1.S7 went to relief work
among the soldiers and sailors and
S469T0 went for relief of civilian cas-
ss Considerable of this money viii
probably be paid back by the recipi
ents-
BY generous donations of clothing
etc, from the public the Red Gross
was saved considerable money. This
large amount OF clothing. bedding sup
pliee, etc. was distributed among
the needy families and certainly re-
lieved great suffering.
There are many problems To be met
in the work Of the Home Service Sec
tion. both with the soldiers and sail
ors and civilian cases, first OF course
the emergency must be relieved and
by repeated contact with the case we
try to work out some way TO better
their condition and make them self
supporting citizens.
This work does not consist princi-
pally OF peddling out money as many
think. because the giving OF money Is
the thing that is avoided as much as
possible as Il generally does more
harm than good. There is always some
reason for an individual or family Dc
ing in need either lack OF proper
employment, i'll health. lack OF knowl-
edge as to how 70 meet difficulties aris-
inr or disaster OF some nature: Anc
these causes have TO be discovered by
contact with the cases and efforts
made TO overcome them by securing
employment, medical care and assist
nnce OF whatever nature Is necessary
some OF the doctors and other pro
fHssional men in the communities have
voluntarily extended stheir valuable
services which will never be thorough
~ appreciated by the general public
Each case requires separate and
different treatment and requires a deai
of thought on the part Of trained WORK
ers in order 10 secure the best re-
suits
The problem Of the transient sol
dier and sailor in Colorado is very
serious one We find 80 many who are
restless and seem to want 10 be on
the move, and are unable 10 gather
themselves togther and settle down.
these cases require an endless amount
OF patience, they certainly cannot De
allowed to continue this way but must
he taken in hand looked after and
epcouraxed TO stick 20 employment SO
cured for them.
In Fremont County there are many
tubercular soldiers and sailors VINO
have been discharged from the diner
ent recuperation hospitals and have
come here to live. They are depend
ent upon their Government Compenns.
ton that Is often held up for various
reasons and they would be in seri-
Gus predicament II IL were not for the
Red Cross.
The general public forms their op-
inion of the needs 81 the exService
man by those whom they personally
know or zee ON the streets but In most
cases these are they who have return.
ed from the service in good physical
condition. the needy and disabled ex-
service man 10 not in evidence but ~
confined TO either his bed or some
Isolated spot. and the public does not
come In contact with him to know the
serious conditions.
As an illustration. n young tubercu-
lar soldier. his wife and small baby
came through Canon City last summer.
They had been living in the open and
travelling from place to place. His com
penHation check for fs5 90 had not
been received, he had lost his dis
charge paper and he came up TO the
Red Cross with fear and trembling,
not expecting help as he knew he
would not be entitled to II without his
discharge He told his story. gave US
references in Denver so we got busy
with the Red Cross in Denver and
received n good report from them. We
loaned him the money necessary for
his expenses until we could locate his
check. he received check and paid
back every cent the Red Cross had
loaned him.
We write innumerable letters to dif-
ferent parts OF the United States get
ting information regarding different
cases, making out Government forms.
anidavits copies of discharge papers
getting them recorded and certified,
also writing and wiring for delayed
compensations. allotments, allowances
Liberty Bonds. etc, putting through
applications TOT compensation, Voc"
tionnl training, dental and medical
work, securing legal advice, and in fact
helping our boys in every was possi-
BILE to get whatever they are entitled
to-
should like to cite one case. A
family came here from another state
II consisted of father. mother and an
only child, young man who was dis
charged from the Army suffering with
tuberculosis. They came here in wag-
on from their home town, the father
had sacrificed everything to bring his
boy here hoping his health would be