The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-25
Launch Campaign Today To Get Home For Working Girls Who LiUe Ln Birmingham
Ministers Will Speak From Pulpts Subject That Has Stirred City to the Core-Thousands of Girls Here,
 But Accommodations of the Right Sort Few

1 25 per cent of these are teen-age girls.
 About 10 per cent of these come from
 more less distant places. The mini
 mum wage for teen-age girls in this city 1 is S6 per week, while many are receiving
 S. s and s1O per week.
 "Of the six thousand mentioned above, 50 per cent are from 20 to % years of age. The minimum wage for these is $10 to 12.50 per week, and the maximum wage from s15 to SIS per week. It will be noted that many of these are not making a 1 living wage In many of the cheaper l lodging places the price is s20 monthly per room, two girls in a room at si0 each per month. Many of these rooms are without fire in winter, the houses not be- | ing heated by furnace. The roomers must depend upon buying a little coal from passing wagons. Two or three of the big rooming houses are heartless propositions.
 The managers of these are at work, and the entire house is practically closed for the day. If one of the roomers be taken sick she has no place to go-certainly no better place than just a lone room in an empty house. And if girl be taken SICK
 at the biz; rooming house the proprietress at once phones the Y. w. c. A. something like this: Sick girl here. We can't care for her Come and get her, or ship her l off to the hospital.
 Are there no better places in Birming- | ham where these girls may room? Yes there are perhaps two hundred homes having rooms to rent: but the price IS I from 80 to $40 per monthv for room. 1 "The Y. W. CA can care for only llV girls. Often at night girls reach this city penniless, hunting work and with ho nlace to go Many of these come at once to the Y. w. c. A. seeking shelter.
 They are cared for and protected, though the only available space is cot in the corner of the hall The " w. c. A | has done wonderful work for girls ana women in this city, but is able to do | only small part of what is needed 10 l be done The Y.. w. c. A. and the Busl- mess Womans Club each has loan funf | to be used in helping those in peculiar
 need These loan funds. though small have been of wonderful benefit.
 ] "There are many who start in for business preparation, but become discour- aged having no early foundation on
 which to build. They soon lose heart
 feel the stress of adverse ciEcumstances' and more easily become the prey or temp 1 tation. And in Birmingham there are some veritable hell-hounds in male attire
 who watch for just such cases, taking ladyantage of their discouragement and
 weakness to ruin them in body and soui. 1 'orhe facts and conditions mentioned above have come as clarion call to the l Christian forces of Greater Birmlnghahn' l bidding us be up and doing. We nave heard the call seen the opportunity, and are preparing to make glad response
 The Methodsts of this city propose to do | their part, and are now entering upon campaign that will mean somethlns lworth while for Birmingham
 I seThe Birmingham Board of City Ms sons is planning to open at once Co- operative Home for Girls, this home lo cated at Eighth avenue. noftn, anu Eighteenth street. The deal for this nome has been closed. It is planned also 'to lbuv the apartments in the rear, toseLnei with the large lot. 240 by 14o feet ms will make enlargement posslple. iiS buildings already erected will be sult- ablv furnished. and will provide for tue Immediate care of 150 girls In providing homes the preference will be given .o | girls under IS years of age, and to those | receiving the minimum wage A traihe' social worker will be in charge Aihp's ,, | care and protection will he gwen aii this cooperative home will be nome 1 in the truest sense of the term iodil 1 fund will be established in eonhectioii
 with the home to care for peculiar cases 1 of distress and sickness
 t"The work planned calls for $75,ooo at once. This work will be presented touas ] in the Methodist churches or this ciS'
 The drive will continue for the next three | days Those in charge feel confldeht ol 1 victory No movement in recent years III this city has in it such large possipiil- l ties for good"