Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-11-21
THE COMMUNITY CHEST

THE COMMUNITY CHEST
Occasionally n hears 1t suggested
that Perth Amboy should have a
community chest. The idea of a COM
munity chest is hat instead of hav-
ing numerous campaigns through
out the year to raise money for the
various institutions and charitable
organizations in the city, the en-
tire amount is raised all at once. a
single drive answering for the whole
year. The sum raised at that time
is the total of what all the organi-
cations and local charities will need
to carry on its work during the
year Instead. then, of having a Y.
NJ. c. A. campaign, a Red Cross
campaign, a Home for the Aged
campaign, and so on, all these in
situations and organizations say what
they want and the whole sum is
punched. An effort is then made to
raise it all at one time and have it
over with for the year.
Few people. however. fully realize
what this means. We all know that
it is a great deal easier to give
smaller sums often than it is to
hand over one big sum all at once.
AS the various drives come along a
man will put down his name Tor
ten, fifteen, or twenty five dollars,
and he will do this several times
during the year without hardly
noticing it. But If he is ask to
bunch all these various donations
id give the total at one time, maxi
ing a contribution of probably two
or three hundred dollars in a single
drive. he hesitates. 1t seems a
whole lot more to him. and even
though he knows that there will be
no more demands upon him during
the year, he still thinks he is giving
more than he a afford. For in
stance. a man may give SIS four or
five times during the year. But il
he is asked to give 500 or $125
all at once he is staggered at the
idea and says he cannot afford such
a contribution, yet that is exactly
what the community chest
Newark is in the midst of a com
munity chest campaign at the pres
ent time. The quota there is
$1,100, 900. Canvassers are securing
the city, put at the end of the week
in which the drive was supposed to
be finished only a little over $500. 900
had been raised, and the campaign
has been continued for another
week. In spite of many handsome
contributions from the wealthy men
of the community, the average man
in the street.-The fellow of small
means-says he cannot afford to
give. He is probably frightened by
the large amount and feels that it
is beyond him, yet If he were APP
preached three or four times during
the year for this or that particular
charity or institution he would
doubtless hand out ten or twenty
dollars each time and forget about it,
It may mea a great deal more
work and be more annoying. per-
haps, to have several campaigns for
contributions to various causes in
stead of having only one campaign
and raising the entire amount al
at once, but it is plain that it is
not possible TO get as much money
in the single drive as is raised by
holding several campaigns during
the year. Perth Amboy has usually
made good in any campaign that
has been carried on here when the
quota to be raised is anywhere near
reasonable, but it is doubtful IL the
entire amount that is given in thii
city to the various institutions and
to charity could be raised in a single
campaign.