The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-11-17
HOME SERVICE IS ONE FEA-
TURE OF RED CROSS
WORK

vigor. The community at home, the
town, is the logical organization and
field for this work. So, now the or
der Of help has been reversed. Dur.
ing the war the local Red Cross
Chapter helped the National organic
alton to carry on the wartime pro-
gram; now the National organization
is using its efforts to help the chap
ter in the Home Service work.
In the cities are the Associated
Charities and other welfare organiza-
tions, but in the rural sections the
relief work has been left entirely to
the Red Cross. This is one part Of
the home service work; to give re-
lief when that is necessary, but above
all, to help the people to solve their
own problems and to give sympa-
thetic advice and council. This is
done by the chapter thru the Home
Service Secretary.
| In Berea and the surrounding
community no one is better known
than Miss English, the Red Cross
Home Service Secretary. To all who
bring their problems to her, she
proves the true friend. An old col
ored man paid her the tribute Of
saying, miss English shore is the
salt of the earth, and what's more,
she don't know no difference of col
orr Her work has been recognized
by people outside of the Berea COM
munity as a very high type of So
cial service. Recently she was asked
to give lecture on Home Service to
the Conference of Kentucky Social
Workers. at Lexington, because of
the splendid work she is doing in
Berea.
Another phase of the Home Service
program of the American Red Cross
is the care Of the disabled soldier.
II is easy to forget, now that the
war is over, that the soldiers took
our places, guarded our country for
us. The conditions were such that
the killing or mutilating of the body
was the only dread. Often the body
was entirely whole but the mind was
partially or entirely killed. Many
men returned from service to be
pronounced queer" by their former
friends. Very often that queerness
is the result of mental disease.
Many soldiers were gassed, taken
to the hospitals and apparently cured,
only to find after they return to
their homes the developing of slow,
aggrivating disease, which saps their
strength, and which is known as tu-
berculosis. That disease was not
present with them during the war,
nor before, but due to the conditions
to which the men were subjected dur
ing the war, they became its victims
These men did not give their lives
in a noble" death on the battlefield,
but they have come home, after do
ing their part, to a slow, lingering
sickness. We hailed them as con-
quering heroes on their return, but
we are prone to forget them when
they get back into civilian life. The
Red Cross Home Service secretary
furnishes a connection between these
men and the government which Is
willing TO help them.
Often the work Of filling out these
government reports is considered
very simple. One amateur worker
remarked, as she tried to answer
questions for a soldier who had re-
ceived three government letters,
each Of which contradicted the other.
well, l always thought that anyone
who was not feeble-minded could
handle this government correspond
ence for soldiers, but firmly believe
only an insane person could compose
some Of these letters we receive, to
be answered"
Miss English cares for the CORES
pondence of about sixty ex-service
men, each month. 1t is interesting
and sad to see that almost one.fourth
Of these are tubercular. They are
not old worn out men, but young
men who should be in the height Of
vigorous health-and would be had
they not given themselves as soldiers
for this country. Such sacrifice can
not be paid in money, but in service
and treatment. Miss English is very
splendidly aiding the ex-service men
Of Berea and Madison county to get
hospital care. The men feel that she,
as the Red Cross secretary, is watch
ing over their families, too, while
thav ara II, Tho sanitori,,t,,