The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-21
Mrs. Sinonson Of Saluation Army Comes 10 Birmingham
 To Handle the Relief Work
Has Title of Brigadier, Similar to That of Her Husband. Her Headquarters to Be in Lyric BuiIding-WiII Aid Church Work.
BY CAROLYN R. ELLIOTT

bI tAftOLf N N. ELbIOl-I
 Happy news for the Salvationists Is the arrival of Mrs. Nj. L. Simonson, from Seattle, Wash. who will have charge of the relief work of the Sal vStion Army in Birmingham After December l Mrs, Simonson's relief sta ton will be open at. headquarters in the Lyric building, where she will di- rect her attention particularly to the needs of the poor.
 Although relief has always been a part of the work of the Salvationists of this city, 1t has been carried on by such an extent by other duties that tho relief office has been kert open only in the forenoons. With Mrs. ST. monson to superintend the work and give full time to 1t, the door of her office will never be locked at any hour in the day when a needy call comes. Under her direction the re- ilet department will be recognized and broadened in it's activities.
 HERE TO COOPERATE
 am here to co-operate with every organizat tion in the city which minis ters to the needs of the poor spirit ually or materially" stated Mrs. Simon son yesterday "I hope I shall be able to be of some service and do sornn good in Birmingham" she added quietly.
 Upon this statement of his wife, Brlgadier Simonson's good natured smile broadened perceptibiy when he
 Good? There is always good wherever she is. I tell you it was good just to see her when I went to tie Terminal station the other day to meet her"
 
 Charity begins at home," was the lejolnder
 But it doesn't end there" replied Mrs. Simonson, while she explained that during the months she had been oetined in the west she had been anxious to join Brigadier Simonson not only for the sake of helping him n his territorial work in Alabama Tennessee and Mississippi, but also for the sake of the particular work that will engage her attention in this com munity.
 So it is, that Mrs. Simonson comes to her new home here not only with the title of "Brigader" that sounds as interesting and official as her hus- Bands. but with warm motherly sympathy for the young and the oil who are suffering, and with the equip ment of years of experience in relief work. which she has undertaken in every clly that mas been BTlSaQ1er Sl- monson's headquarters
 LOCAL CONDITIONS
 Until our relief office Is opened here on December l, expect to spend the time in learning something of the situation in Birmingham" Mrs. Simon- son stated. T wish to be in touch, and to corporate with the church and civic organizations, and the commit nity and social service clubs, that deal with people in need.
 'Tn our work heretofore we have also ment," she informed. "Very often offi- cers have called on us to help them in cases that do not seem to need the police court so much as they need a little friendly counsel or material aid Sometimes these aids will restore a persons self-respect. Or it may be a little medical attention that is needed, or treatment at the hospital; pan1 sometimes in our work we supply food to those who are actually hungry.
 CHARITY THAT CHEERS
 "Our purpose is to practice the charity that does not impoverish, but that which cheers, and which helps the discoura ged to regain their self-respect," assured Mrs. Simonson.
 ''fn all my experience with this work" she continued, 'T have found that the trouble with many needy people is lack or Self-reSpect In a haO1t or dependence on others. The loss of this is so much more serious than any trouble through poverty or sickness, that our big task is to encourage the down back to self-con- fidence and self-respect."
 In illustration of this. Mrs. Simonson said, q can take you to clean. pros porous lunch room in one of the cities in which we lived. The history of this lunch room and bakery is the history of the little woman who has charge of it. She and her husband were self-respect- ing, hard working people. who owned their own home and who were educat- ing a family of children. The father was cut off from his work by long and fatal illness, that called for his modest savings, and the constant care of his wife. who could not leave him to go out and earn a livelihood. During her strug- gle she gave up the home, and at her husbands death she was left penniless, in debt, with a family of small children to care for. She had not been trained to any work except that of home- maker, and weeks passed. during which she had searched for employment with out success. She was driven to ethe desperation of trying to take her own life when the Salvation Army found her. Just little financial help restored this womnn's confidence in her ability to earn support for her family. A tiny room was rented for her across the street