Evening star., 1929-06-10
FAMILY IS AIDED
|BY HELPING HAND
Conditions of Filth and Dire
/ Need Are Relieved by
/ Associated Charities.
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

Within a short distance of the Poto-
mac down in lowlands frowned upon by
the Capitol and the buildings of State,
an old ramshackle frame hoIse stands
crumbling on its foundations. 1t lies
close to a railroad track in a neighbor-
hood forsaken and neglected. Refuse is
strewn around the grounds, window
paneS are broken and doors hang craZily
upon their hinges.
Until few years ago, the dilapidated
building with its leaking roof, filthy
walls and scant water supply, obtained
from an old pump used for all purposes,
was the home and shelter of an honest,
hardworking laborer, struggling against
unsurmountable odds to support wife
and eight children. The shaky old
house had proven the only place his
small means would permit renting.
One day the attention of the Associ-
ated Charities was called to the condi-
tion Of this family. A visitor was i'm
nediately sent to the house.
! Uninviting Picture.
Filth reeked everywhere. A scrawny,
undernouriShed woman, not over 80
| years old. but with the appearance of
one of SO, wearily opened the door to
the visitor. Not chair was to be seen.
five-month-old baby had been placed
on top of an old chest of drawers and
was whimpering feebly. Other children,
dirty faced, swarmed around the
mothers skirts. A wobbly table stood in
one corner showing the remains of an
uninviting meal.
! The visitor suppressed a shudder as
she noticed vermin crawling on the
baby. IF only we can remove them
from this terrible environment" she
thought, "it viii be the first step in the
| dificult climb upward"
With tact and kindness she soon
gained the confidence of the family.
! Within few days the Associated Char
| tiles had found a new home for the
' laborer and his family. 1t was simple,
but in better surroundings and the house
was scrubbed before the family was
! permitted to enter. Good milk was
, supplied for the children and the mother
was induced to see that the children re-
ceived baths regularly and were sent
/ to Sunday school.
Religion is the greatest factor in
the rehabilitation of human being"
! said the visitor to student, who ac-
companied her one day. when we
have succeeded in having the children
attend Sunday school regularly and
go there with clean clothes and washed
! faces, 1t is the first step toward a
better living
Will Be Trained.
j ''This Summer" she continued. I'VE
! want to send this particular family to
Camp Good viii. There, the mother
, will be taught to cook properly and
serve meals, how to make beds and keep
her surroundings clean and receive an
entirely different and new standard Of
living"
Efforts are being made by the As
sociated Charities to obtain better work
, for the father to enable him to provide
q few of the decencies of life for his
family. The man has never voluntarily
missed O day from his work.
With the timely assistance and guild
/ ance of the Associated Charities
workers. this family is expected to de-
velop into decent living, constructive
and law-abiding citizens.
/ The next home visited by the visitor
was that of mother, also with eight
children, the father of whom had been
4 drunkard At the time the Associated
Charities had its attention called to
this case by police officer of the pre-
c1nct, the family was living In an
/ old abandoned schoolhouse in an in
| accessible suburb. In one unheated
room, they lived ate and slept. The
father worked little, drank a great deal
and beat the mother and children.
Conditions were such that the mother
was forced to leave her husband and
finally obtained a legal separation and
o SH!aA dlloH dnce from the nuSDand
, Tor the support of the children. The
Associated Charities, learning of her
condition of i'll health, poverty and de-
/ pendent children; came to her assist
! ance, and have made it possible for
her to keep together her children in
! q neat, clean little home, far removed
= from the old schoolhouse of former
! days. The children attend school regu-
larry. and proving her ability to provide
a decent homo fOr hnr 70, %t>a
J woman will shortly apply for the
mothers allowance provided by the
! District for widows families.
1t was with a sense of keen gratifca-
i ton that the visitor dropped by on her
! way home to visit family which once
! was In worse circumstances than the
: one. rescued from the abode of filth on
the river bank.