The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-16

facilities to supply these
needs?
With several hundred homeless
Migrants migrating through the city
every day it is imperative for COM
munity protection that means Of re-
lief are provided which will not
force the men into panhandling or
begging or criminal acts.
If steps were not taken by the
welfare agencies, housewives would
be harraSsed constantly by back
door panhandlers and pedestrians
would be stopped at every turn by
the "moocher." The crime rate
would scar rapidly.
Fortunately, indianapolis ranks
high in the list Of urban communi-
ties in the handling Of transient
relief.
The three principal agencies in
Indianapolis that care for the home
less in search of food and shelter
are the Central Housing Founda-
ton, the Wheeler City Rescue Mis-
sion and the Salvation Army.
In it's quarters in the rear OF
Tomlinson hall, the Central Hous-
ing Foundation at 222 East Wabash
street will celebrate its first birthday
this month. It was established in
December, 1882, by resources of the
Indianapolis Community fund.
Lodging Given 1902
In a period of nine months from
February to October 81 of this year,
the charity enterprise gave 1902
lodgings and served 1863, 057 meals
to transientS and local homeless
men. The number of meals served
in the months period would be
sufficient to feed an average lam
lily of four members two meals a
day for SO years.
SO efficiently is the Foundation
managed under the direction of
Paul H. Moore, that the average
cost for all the food, overhead, up
keep and general expenses Of the
foundation amounts to only II cents
a day man.
The meals that the men eat twice
a day costs only 312 cents a meal
for each man. Despite the low
cost, the food is pure, wholesome
and substantial. About 760 meals a
day are served free of charge.
Medical Test Required
When the men are received at
the Central Housing Foundation,
they are required to submit to a
medical examination by three full
time medical students connected
with the organization. Before the
men retire, they must take their
daily shower bath or bed is not
turned over to them.
Facilities are provided for the
men to mend shoes and sew tat
tered wearing apparel. Haircuts
may be obtained from one OF the
men, a barber out of job, who
works at the foundation in return
for his meals and lodging.
A spirit of cheerfulneSs permeates
the recreation room at night when
the men gather to drive away the
blues and the feeling of nostalgia.
The men join in on Home, Sweet
Home" Down Upon the Swannee
River" Sweet Adeline," and other
songs that are strongly Embedded in
American tradition. Then, they
pause to listen to the quartet sing,
to hear the dashboard musician
perform, or to watch few wander
ing thespians put on a ''melodram-
mer." A spirit of good fellowship
reigns at these sOirees as the men
fraternize in thei Rumble room.
Cleanliness Prevails
When the men retire at night
after a weary journey on the road,
they 60 to one of the several large
dormitories that contain more than
a hundred cots in each room. The
beds are Immediately clean and
the floors are spotlesS from daily
scrubbings.
The iron-clad rule of mo work,
no food" Is strictly enforced at the
foundation.
Various tasks are provided. The
building is cleaned, from top to
bottom, every morning by a crew of
the men aided. Others make the
beds and change the sheets, wash
the nightgowns and clothing and
wait on tables at meal time. A task
for every man and a man for every
task is the practice.
Trnsients are given two meals and
one nights lodging at the founda-
ton and then are asked to move
on. Local homeless are housed and
fed until they obtain jobs, if desti-
tute.
The Wheeler City Mission at 245
North Delaware street operates on
a similra basis. Transients may
stay for a three-day period there,
however.
Long Record of Service
The Mission is a -sactarian
enterprise that has been a friend
of the destitute man for nearly q
half a century. Always interested
in humanitarian enterprises the
mission ever has tried 10 give the
tramp" a new outlook on life. In
the last few years their duties have
increased to a great extent as the
throes Of the depression catapulted
thousands of workers from their jobs
and threw them on the roads in
search of jobs.
An attempt IS made at the mis-
sion to bring about a spiritual as
well as a material rehabilitation of
the homeless mn. After he is fed
and has his clothes mended, he is
invited to join in the religious serv-
ices held nightly in the chapel.
Many converts are recorded in