The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1942-10-13
FOUNDING OF CHILDREN'S HOME
SOCIETY OF FLORIDA WILL BE
CELEBRATED ON NOVEMBER z


Society forty years ago, on No
vember 2, 1902.
A series of memOrative meet
ings will be held in all parts of
Florida, starting with a big lunch
con meeting at Jacksonville the
noon of Monday, November 2, at
which meeting the governor of
Florida, Honorable Spessard L.
Holland, will be the special guest
speaker. In connection with the
meeting at Jacksonville, which is
being sponsored by the Rotary
Club and other civic, welfare,
religious, educational and other
groups-and to which everybody
in Florida is invited.
GOVERNORS STATEMENT
Il have personally known of.
the important state wide. non
sectarian service of the Chill
dren's Home Society of Florida.
"Florida's Greatest Charity.
for many years and firmly be-
lieve that the Society has rem
dered an unusually worthwhile
service not only TO over forty
thousand homeless. orphan. and
needy children but to the en-
tire citizenship of Florida"
Other meetings will follow at
Miami, Lakeland and Pensacola,
where the Society has establish
ed delightfully."- home-like Receiv-
ing Homes, and in many other
communities all over the state
to be sponsored by the more
than 1900 officers and members
of the Society's Sponsoring Com
mittees, actively working for the
interest of the Society and its
homeless youngsters in every
portion of the entire state.
Society Has Made Fine Record
For Forty Years
Beginning without any funds,
any receiving homes or any
friends, in November, 1902, the
Society cared for II homeless
children during its first year
raised $500 in money and began
a truly great humanitarian serv-
ice in behalf of Florida'S home
less, orphan and needy children
of all ages from wee babies on
up to 16 years of age-of every
creed and bclief-all over Flor
ida. This fine and important
child-placing service has been
maintained through all the years
without any state or federal gov
ornamental funds, the entire sup
port coming through voluntary
contributions of money, food and
children's wearables.
Continued Growth Is Recorded
The work and support has
grown until the Home Society
is now giving its aid, care and
supervision to from 1900 to 1000
children in need each year. The
contributions now come from
over $4,000 men, women and
children in every city, town and
hamlet in Florida-and this
amounted to $150,OO000 last year.
Requests sometimes considerably
increase the amounts.
The Society now owns, free
from debt, home-like and COM
Portable Receiving Homes in
Jacksonville. South Jacksonville,
Miami, Pensacola and Lakeland,
these homes having a total capa-
city of 200 children, each home
being a temporary shelter where
children are prepared to go out
into carefully selected adaptive
homes; the chief purpose of the
Society being to place homeless
children in childless adaptive
homes Of permanent love, care
and education. The staff of
workers has increased from one
to AZ. The four staffs of physi-
clans and dentists have the free
services of practically 100 of the
outstanding physicians and dent
lists of the state-and there are
over 400 Of Florida's leading Citi-
zens who compose the state and
branch boards of directors and
women'S advisory boards, Over
2300 we'll known men and women
in all parts of the state are Of
ficers and members of the So
ciety's Sponsoring Committees
which cover the entire state. In
other words there are nearly g.
900 of Florida's finest men and
women giving their time, thought
efforts and funds in the direction
of this worthwhile service tc
FIorida's needy children.
Perhaps the most important
work of the Society has been its
leadership in the securing of leg
islation benefiting dependent
delinquent, defective and de-
fenSeless children. Among the
important child welfare laws Ell.
Their drafted, passed or sponsor.
ed by the Home Society are the
Juvenile Court law, Child Labor
law, Compulsory Education law
Wife Desertion measures anC
laws providing for the State In.
dllStrial Schools for delinn11en.