Evening star., 1933-01-22
SLUMP REFLECTED
IN CHEST AGENCIES
Many Take Advantage Of
Character Building Ac-
tivities.

Effects of the depression are being
reflected in the large number of people
taking advantage of the leisure-time
activities of the character building
agencies Of the Community Chest, E.
C. Graham, president of the Chest,
declared in statement made public
yesterday
At the same time, said Mr.. Graham.
the paying clientele of these organiza-
ti0n3 has beeh steadily diminishing.
Reports received by him, said Mr..
GI> XII. cil1U en- at.-n5ance of 1000
Al the free oictation classes h2ld at
61G L street in the past seven months,
persons previously making use of this
service At the same time, he said, 122
persons received free shorthand re-
views.
Women Are Aided.
The industrial department Of the
Y. w. c. A. helped 81 women in the
sale of 1.1s1 articles in 1892, the re-
port to Mr.. Graham disclosed. In the
same period clothing was obtained for
SO women and the Employment Bu-
reau handled 1925 applications for
work, which Is 494 more than in 1881,
and placed 3l2 persons in jobs, a. COM
pared with lzl in the yea previous.
BY rendering this free srvicc, the. Y.
w. c. A. suffered q less in rct in
come OF $4,000 in 1882, as compared
to 1881, this loss being sustained in
the food service and dormitory. depart
ments alone.
The Y. M. c. A.. suffered similar
losses In income during the year 1882
as compared to 1881, officials of the in
stitution holding that the continuance
Of the depression Is responsible for these
losses. At the same time the number
Of young men and boys seeking recrea-
tion to pass their leisure time greatly
increased, the free facilities Of the Y.
M. G. A. being taxed to their utmost
The Y. NJ c. A. also conducted. un-
offcially, an unemployment service
which managed to find jobs for several
hundred men. in the course of the year.
Burdens Have Increased.
Neighborhood House, Friendship
House, Juanita K Nye Council House,
the Christ Child Society Settlement
House and Southeast House all have
sustained increased burdens during the
past year as result of the depression.
More and more children, unable to find
SUFFICIENT leisure time activities in the
and classes of the settlement houses
and are thereby being kept off the
streets out of danger and incidentally,
out of mischief.
Clubs for adults in the various set
Elements have also shown an increased
membership in the past year. These
clubs provide educational and recrea-
tional facilities for the use OF leisure
time without cost and more and more
Of III
ties and taking advantage of them.
The Boys Club of Washington and
the Northeast Boys Club have both felt
the effects of the depression in that
their membership is largely drawn
from families who are among the hard
ece hit by the unemployment situation
ed who are as consequence unable
in mary instances to pay the few pen
r : OF cues which the two clubs charge
il crSer to keep the boys on self
respecting basis.
Must Reduce Budgets.
Pointing out that all these organiza-
tio,5 NUT expect to operate on re-
t'>e ia lure of the Community Chest
to reach its goal President Graham ex-
Iccsied his regrets that more money
could not be made available for the
wor.; of these organizations.
"At a time like this" Mr.. Graham
sad, I'VE need, more than ever before,
the morale-building influences of the
character building organizations. They
are furnishing a haven toward which
our people, unable otherwise to profit
ably occupy their time, are turning
eagerly and the present prospects are
that these organizations will be called
upon for service this year more than
ever before"