Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-16
THE COUNTRY HOME
BY MRS. w. H. FELTON,

''In the G. S. s. there are several hundred
patients who either have relatives or
friends or their relatives are financially I'M
able to supply them with any luXuries. 1t oc-
Cured to me over two years ago that if. in
our state, there were as many interested peo-
pie as there were patients, how much pleasure
would be afforded both the recipients and the
contributors If one person would assume the
care of patient To assume the care of a
patient means only to remember with what
they desire for Christmas, send them 10 cents,
% cents, SO cents, occasionally during the
year and send them a pretty bright card oc-
casionalIy. Their joy upon receiving re-
membrane cannot be expressed in words. L
have experienced this and know. They enjoy
being remembered as much any of us do.
"In 1921 interested 225 people and dear
Mrs. Alonzo Richardson assumed the care OF
rs, making 500 all told who were the happy
recipients of remembrances that Christmas.
Only one package out of that number failed
to reach its destination but might have been
located later 1 have been asked if the pa
tients receive what is sent to them. | say
they all, at that time, did receive what was
sent to them. Even small a gift as string
of beads wil{ cause the recipient to jump up
and down with joy. No greater happiness has
ever been bestowed any one than on them.
1t would have made the stoutest-hearted per-
son weep with joy to them remove the tis-
sue paper, ribbons and Christmas seals from
their very own packages sent them by some
one who cared.
Personal touch is wonderful balm. Some
of these patients for whom plead have been
there as long as thirty-one years, and, till
Christmas, 1921, have never received any re-
membrance from anyone outside the institu-
ton. 1t is such great work with very little
effort and such slight expense. But the
hardest work to get anyone interested in l
have ever attempted. L have appealed
through the press with only eight replies
Last Christmas the Fifth district assumed
the care of 172 and l divided the remaining
names among the other eleven districts, al
lotting each of the eleven districts thirty-one,
thirty-two and thirty-three respectively
have been informed that only about one-third
of the patients were remembered last Christ
mas, leaving the rest of them so disappointed
ing something. 1t makes my heart so sad,
Are there not enough interested people in
Georgia to cast this little bit of sunshine into
these darkened lives. Hours, days and years
slowly pass for them and nc one to visit them.
no one to remember them in any way, when
these sad hours can be frightened in so many
ways The state, as you know, provides COM
Portable quarters, plenty of clothing and good
food, and they are well cared for they
can be by nurses, etc, but none of us sat-
isfied with these things.
"If our legislators could only be impressed
with the Importance of the recognition of this
institution by appropriating the necessary
means for making this institution what it
should be- In entire state there is no
other institution, even the prisons, that is not
considered on Christmas, except this one. If
you have occasion, ever, to go there, look the
place over carefully and what you think
of the attractive school for the children"