The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-05-18
Home Service Office
Of Red Cross to Close
Lack of Funds Causes the Dis
continuing of Office on
June First

Owing to the lack of sufficient
funds to keep this office open and
running in our city and county. the
local office Of the Red Cross Home
Service section is TO be closed on June
lst. t.ac:. county was allowed to
keep q certain percentage from the
amount collected in the last Red
cross; war drive for local work, and
it was with these fur ds that the
Come Service work in Sumter coun-
~ was esta bished and operated. 70
F.. this amount has been added one-half
ot what has been collected for Red
Eros: membership during the past
two years. only one thousand mem
Dcrs We're secured in the city and
county in the last Red Cross roll call
IN December. 1920, $4,000 OF this
amount being retained for local work.
The funds in the treasury are now
so low that It becomes necessary to
close the Home Service section.
1t seems almSsS a crying shame
that this Office is now to be closed
just when it is most needed and just
at the time when the community has
begun to depend upon it most. A
little over year ago the scope Of this
Office was widened and expanded so
that it was able to do civilian relief
work as we'll as work among the ex-
service men. The value Of the work
OF the last two years accomplished
by this Office can only be estimated
by it's lasting results upon the COM
uunity and this is read in terms OF
its educational work ard in its intel
1igent and efficient cooperation Elth
all that is for the Detterment OF COM
J munitv social conditions. This has
been the first organization IN this
community which has devoted the.
entire tine of a trained secretary TO
the doing OF constructive social
work. The record made by this Of
flee, with Miss Mamie J. Chandler as
secretary, is indeed an enviable one.
, Since the opening of this office 800
cases have been handled and dispos-
cd Of satisfactorily, s children Of our
community have been placed in or
phanages and schools due to the ef-
forts of this office. i children have
5 been sent to tie state training scheoI
, for tho feeble minded. and the cor
i. lrespondence which this Office has
l necessarily been forced 10 carry on
] has meant many laborious hour TO
S the secretary and stenosrapher
2 The American Red Cross is nat
ional and n Worldwide organization
t and tbs home service section once
!, has been directly under the direction
/ Of the American National Red cross,
hence, efficient and direct commune
. cation and cooperation has been
possible at al times with the leading
/ welfare organizations Of state and
: nation and opportunity FOR greater
L work has been created than could
J. have !,.en otherwise.
The secretary is now st work CLOS
ing, as nearly IS it is possible. all o'
9 the cid cases and getting the files IN
proper shape. The statement mas
+ been made by her that no new cases
/ will be accepted. She now has plans
: on foot, however for the placing or
: five children in schools and orphan
2 ages and she Will not forsake this
2 work until it is an accomplished
fact.
t The government viii IN the case of
this emergency probably make ar
e rangements for the taking care of Its
. disabled ex-service men who have
: had their cases handled by this ofnce
e up to this time but with the golns
Y of this office from this community
g organized efforts to do constructive
social work Will come to an end.