Evening star., 1938-05-04
WELFARE HOUSE
TO Be DEDICATED
Opportunity for Service, Inc,
Plans Service on Sunday
Afternoon.

Opportunity for Service, Inc, or.
eanized two years ago for character
building welfare work among the
underprivileaed children of the centra
area of Washington, will dedicate its
new home. Opportunity House, at rs
I street NV, on Mothers Day next
Sunday.
In the meantime, directors of the
settlement house activities hope to
secure enough supporting members at
81 per month to provide for its
budgeted expenses of S400 per month
approximately one-fourth of the
needed amount already has been sub
scribed. according to Mrs. w. H. Thies
) who gives her time to work as secre-
tary of the organization. 1t will be
impossible to keep the house operating
without further cooperation from the
public, she said
The campaign for funds is being
carried on by mail, with prospective
members invited to visit Opportunity
House and see for themselves the type
OF work being done.
lis Children Registered.
More than ITS children are regis
tered for the social, cultural and
educational activities carried on at
the settlement house. These include
re-kindergarten classes for children
l3 to S years old; daily classes in sew
Ing and dreSSmaking for mothers and
children; athletic groups for boys; dra-
matte classes twice a week art classes
weekly neighborhood club meetings
and sightseeing trips.
Opportunity House also serves milk
and suitable food to the children each
afternoon and this is all the food
some OF them receive during the day
Mrs. Thies said. In emergencies the
house helps arrange for medical at
tention, capitalization and nursing
care for the nder-privileged neigh
bors. 1t co-operates with other
agencies to help solve social ano
economic problems arising in the
nelghborhood. Used clothing and
food is collected, e-conditioned anc
distributed to needy families.
Three w. P. A. workers help othe,
trained social workers supervise the
Opportunity House activities.
Mrs. Thles said the need for tht
Opportunity House program in the
central area was demonstrated by sta.
tlstics showing there are more people
on relief IN that neighborhood thar
In any other section Of the city. Fifty.
two per cent of the areas total popu.
lation is on relief, she pointed out.
Organized in 1896.
During 1885. study by the Council
OF Social Agencies revealed, 9,4OC
adults were arrested: 5,555 Juvenile de.
linquency cases were reported, 395 ar
'rests for soliciting occurred and % pc,
cent Of the city's traffic accidents tc
children under l6 occurred in this
area
Opportunity for Service, Inc. was
organized in May of 1886, and moved
Opportunity House to its present loca-
tion in February Of this year. after
one supporter had agreed to contribute
enough funds to meet monthly pay
mentS on the house
The service offered at Opportunity
House" Mrs. Thies said, is such as
Will uplift and brighten the environ
: ment of those whose lives have mar
roWed into mere struggle for food
ard shelter and will lead the younger
group into channels of more construc-
tive living and good citizenship.
The House will not be eligible to
benefit from the Community Chest
until it is 3 years old Plans already
are being worked out for applying for
membership in the Chest next year
In the meantime. individual subscrip-
tons are depended upon for carry
ing on the work. Arthur Clarendon
Smith is president of the welfare Or
ganizatlon
The dedication service is scheduled
for 30 pm. Open house will be held
from 2 until 7 o'clock that day, and
from TO on the preceding Saturday
To pay fine of sl25 man walked