Evening star., 1932-08-21
Chest Work

1T is strange what stories otherwise intelli
II gent people will believe when told tt
them by beggars and charity takers who
impose on their generosity and good will
according to Miss Adelaide Barker, who
is in charge Of the Community Chest Persona
Service Bureau at 2o2, I41S I street northwest
For example" said Miss Barker, mot SO long
ago, one of our leading business men came tc
this Office in an exceedingly angry frame OF
mind because blind man had come into ms
ONCE, telling him that he had been taken to
the Community Chest headquarters by police.
captain who had asked for aid for him (theI
blind mani and that both had finally left bel
cause there was so much red tape in connectlonI
with his getting aid. We Immediately in
vestigated this story and found out that
as a matter of fact, no blind man haoI
applied to the Community Chest Office in|
the Investment Building or at this ONCE I'M
any recent month, and no applicant for aid,
whether blind or sighted had come in with al
police captain for help in obtaining that aid
More than that. no red tape whatever is neces-
sary to receive the aid which is available through
the Community Chests IS member agencies"
Miss Barker then explained how the Personal
Service Bureau handles applicants for aid
turning each person over to the organization
best fitted to care for that particular persons
needs In order to determine the proper organ.
ization to which an applicant should be sent,
it is necessary, Miss Barker explained, to ask
a few questions regarding his religious and|
other backgrounds, the cause of the trouble and|
other matters which will enable the worker to|
best aid him.
"Of course we call up the Social Service Ex-
change which has confidential list OF all
persons being aided by charitable organizationsI
in Washington" Miss Barker said. This IS
necessary On account Of the large number OIL
people who think that this is just another char
liable agency and that they can obtain relief
here in addition to what they are already rel
ceiving from some other organization. You|
would be surprised how many repeaters come toI
us in the course Of one week. If the person Isl
already receiving aid we learn that Immediately
from the Social Service Exchange and the ap-|
phcant is sent back to the organization Whlcn|
Is already giving him care.
Our questions are held to the briefest possi-
BILE minimum in order to facilitate the handling
of the large number Of people who come for aid
in the course of q day. 1t is absolutely essen.
tial that we know the religious background OF
the applicant because the Catholic Charities
and the United Hebrew Relief Society each de-
sire to handle the people of their own faiths.
In addition to that there is the possibility that
the man may be q war veteran, in which case
he Is sent to one of the veteran organizations
for aid Where there is family, the applicant
goes to one Of the family welfare organizations
and where the man is alone he Is promptly
turned over to the Chest Bureau for Transients
and Homeless Men which is maintained in this
same building.
when Al dppLCdut COiilcS W 10 UcolAiS OaAC
Of the yellow tickets supplied by the Com
munity Chest to it contributors, we not only
take care of his particular needs but in addi-
ton fill out form and send it back to the
person who gave the applicant the ticket. OF
course, there are q large number Of those tickets
given out to professional panhandlers' and
others who are not in actual need and who
never present them preferring the easy living
that they can make by getting dimes and quar-
tiers from susceptible public.
II wish that every person who hears one Of
these hard-luck stories purporting TO tell how
the Chest has refused aid would get In touch
Immediately with either this bureau or the
Community Chest, because we know that Chest
organizations do not refuse aid and by getting
these contacts with those that bear these stories
we would be able to put the purpose Of the
Chest before more Washingtonians"