The Columbus dispatch., 1921-12-25
THE NEEDIEST CASES
BY WILLIAM GARNER BURGIN.


have just had conferences with local leaders Of the
Red Cross and United Charities and able 20 report the
following needest They speak for themselves
make their own appeal
This is family Of FIVE The father Is good workman
when WELL but at present is in hospital in Mobile, with
what is likely prove ncuabe disease The wife and
three children present being cared for by big hearted
farmer The children are girl six years of age and two
boys of four and years respectively They domced
in the home of who is already rearing six orphan
children in addition to his own But when the crisis came
in the family and the father and bread winner stricken
down. the wife, in destitute circumstances appealed to the
souled farmer her friendand he offered what
temporary relief his already oyercrowded nome could fur
nish The Red Cross to the and provided the
woman a secondhand sewing machine and secondhand
clothing for the little children.
The farmer is providing for the family four-room
cabin his place. and will give them enough chickens to
flock hog and the milk OF COW, but he cannot
afford to take from his pocket for the support of the
family. Ii the community provide $3.50 week until
June about 80 week the money to be spent by responsible
party each week for dry groceesthe family can be ded
until the gardens n and much suffering will be
averted. In other words, 500 will family! What
opportunity for investment!
The father if he lives will be brought back home
and sleeping porch added to the cabin to give him fighting
chance and protect the little children in the family from
Case No. 2
This is the of small farmer who. borne down
with debt incident to several crop failures sold out his little
place to relieve the mortgage upon and to free himself
from the consciousness of debt He sold everything he had
and still owed $3.50 He brought his wife and three little
children to town in the hope of finding work. which slow
IN coming Finally Job was secured in mechanics re-
pair shop the of the shop taking the out Of
realization OF his desperate circumstances and not because
there need Of additional workmen. He receive
$125 per day, and grateful beyond that
1t chance to work and keep his little children from
want But he recently to the local Red Cross and
stated that all of the family sick the wife and all three
children and that he did not have money with which to
get prescriptions and drugs. He begged for assistance
promising to all back at the end of the week of his
meager wages. Medical aid provided at once and the
nurse told me that she would have fight her hands for
declining to accept the for the drugs when Saturday
nlgh-Chrstmas eVe!the father presents himself with
his weeks earnings to pay back! Meantime the family is
being temporarily cared for at Salvation Army headquarters
Case No. 3.
This is family of SIX father, mother, boy Of sixteen
boy OF H. girl of five, and baby Their desperate
father works when he is able Children can't be sent to
school on account of lack of under-clothing
(The above reported by Mrs G. a. Wilkinson
and those desiring make contributions should communicate
with herr
This is family of q widow with four children he
Oldest of whom is boy Of fourteen who works when he
can get work. and who the mainsay the famys sup
port VI he cannot to school, There two little
girls very bright and pretty both and making good
grades The mother in bad health unable work broken
in body and spits-the father and husband dead Need
food and clothing.
Cease reported by Mrs r. L. Speed of United Charities
Those interested should communicate with her)
The above cases typical of many. They merely in
date the desperate need in many quarters in midst
Sporadic and individual giving will not suffice relieve it,
but should be made through constituted channels of relief
such the Red Cross the United Charities the Salvation
Army, etc These agencies will be grateful for any con- II
trbutonS OF kind money food clothing bedding etc
and will invest them where they will yield the largest return
IN eief OF human suffering and in the promotion of human
happiness For in-as-much you did it of the
least of these, ye have done it unto Me-"