Evening journal., 1920-01-22

! NJ Inc meeting or the boatu or man
ayers OF the Associated Charities at the
Hotel dupont Mss B Ethclda Mullen,
general secretary submitted an interest
Ing report. In which she said:
December and January, usually busy
months with our workers, have proven
exceptionally so this year. The Christ
mas season as Il always does, brought
10 our attention a number OF our Old
families, but even this did not account
/ for the marked increase over the same
period FOR last year. In the East Side
/ District alone we carried iOG families
during the month OF December. This
district has been handling tho greater
burden OF the work since the dgyiG,ng
line In the city was changed from Mar
ket 30 Washln zton street. A careful
tallylng OF statistics for the past two
years has proved u wise 10 redisirlct
with the old boundaries
"For the second year our Christmas
work|Nas systemstlzed and made more
far reaching by The interest and coop
Grafton OF outside agencies and interest
ed individuals. Only three Christmas
baskets were sent out from our Office.
but over 100 families We're provided
with Christmas dinners This left our
donations Of money which amounted
20 e30i 80 TO be spent foY the clothing
so much reeded I'm the homes Of our
pension families With the splendid as
sistance OF several OF our board mem
bers. some outside individuals. and
the Rotary and kiwanis Clubs we were
able 10 provide each member OF our
families with new clothing. The motor
service so cheerfully given 10 us Coy
members OF both clubs made the work
comparatively easy for our workers
aside from the Christmas work the
statistics for the month Of December.
show various causes for the amount or
work handled There were 10 windows
with total OF 10 children. only
seven Of these widows are receiving
mothers pensions from The Stale. In
ten families the wage Garner was serv-
ing a term IN The workh0use. the
length OF the Imprisonment varying
from one year to a life sentence. Six
families represented desert.ng fathers
and one a deserting mother. In five
homes tuberculosis had incapacitoted
the wage Garner, in eight others vari-
Gus SORTS Of physical disability were
present. while In two cases OF indus
trial accident 70 was necessary for the
Associated Charities 90 slcp in until
satisfactory adjustments could bc made
about the insurance Three men, two
Of whom were exceptionally good wage
earners and heads OF families. were
pronounced hOpelessly insane. Five
homes in which feeble-mindedness de-
stroyed the morale Of the family, FIN
lshes the tale OF these things over
which we have little control. But
when we come 10 medical problems, I'M
morality. and just plain shiftlessness,
we can hope TO effect some cure. 1t is
slow work, 10 be sure. but II can be
accomplished. Let US cite for example,
one family. At little over a year ago,
Mr.. A.. worthless. drunken brute Of a
manrdied. leaving a wife and four httle
boys. lhe oldest years old. Mrs. \.
was i'm and showed every evidence OF
abuse aud neglect The house was un-
speakabiy nlthy and the children ragged
and neg eeted. 10 was difficult to gain
the confidence OF this woman, whose
whole life had been one OF fear and de-
ceit and whose knowledge OF the Ems
fsh language was so very limited. Ihe
only thing upon which we had TO work
on was her love Of her boys and her
fear Of losing them. With this as
lever. We began what seemed an i'm
possible task. Today that home IS
clean. the children are taken regularly
TO the child welfare centre for Observa-
lion. and instruction In feeding, the
older boy goes to school In clean. we'll
mcnded shoes and clothing, and the
second boy cannot be kept home from
The kindergarten. where he Is fast
learning American customs. And Mrs
A at last realizing that there arc peo-
ME in The world who are her friends
is losing her old habits OF lieing and
mlstrust. Il doesn't always work OUT
but once in a viii it is worth all the
work that Il involves.
THE current month IS proving a very
difficult one for the workers. WITH
nearly two weeks Of the month yet
10 be realized, we are handling i22
families. every one Of them active
problems. This has meant evening
work aad forfeiting the Saturday half
holiday. which has been accepted most
cheerfully, by the entire stan OF dis
trlct workers. Fortunately our stan Is
complete. The recent appointment Of
Miss Helen o. Messersmith, as West
Side secretary, has been a good gain.
Miss Nessersmith comes to us highly
from the Philadelphia
Society for Organizing Charity.
Mss Laura A. Bell, who has been
assistant secretary on the East Side
district. will become secretary Of that
district and Miss Marglry carp, from
the Home Service Section Of the Red
Cross, viii become her assistant.