Evening star., 1951-12-21
Funds Are Sought
BY Churchwonen
Through Donations

out the year has been added this
season to the Christmas oppor-
tunity" program of the General
Department of Church Women of
the Washington Federation of
Churches.
Sufficient funds to support a
chaplain-at-large are being sought
by the department as a major
Christmas activity. A goal of SIS. 900
has been set for the purpose of
providing the services of such a
chaplain for year.
The project was explained in a
Christmas letter to the church
women from Mrs. Clarence T. Mel
son, president of the department,
and Miss Eta Mai Russell, di-
rector.
For a long time, as Protestant
churches" the letter stated in
part, I'VE have needed the serv-
ices Of a chaplain-at-large to in
tegrate the spiritual ministry to
the hospitals and the institutions
Of the District of Columbia-to
ID see, that at the bedside of
every Protestant patient some
clergyman would call; (2) to in
form pastors of the hospitaliza-
ton of their members; CD to
bring the comfort of the Great
Physician through the year to
those who are i'll.
at is the dream of the Fedora
ton of Churches to call such a
man; it is our hope as the Wom-
ans Department to make this
dream come true"
The District Home for the Aged
at Blue Plains, the Florence Crit
tenton Home, and the District
Jail are among institutions which,
would be served by the chaplain.
He also would serve at the sum-
mer camps to which the church
women provide scholarships.
The need for a chaplain-at-
large was pointed up recently
when AZ church groups arrived
one Sunday at local institution
to provide services, while no serv-
ices at all were provided for the
next several weeks.
Such situation could be
averted under the church women'S
plan.
Staff members of the federation
have been serving regularly as
chaplains at Lorton Reformatory
and Freedmen's Hospital, and st.
Elizabeths now has two full-time
chaplains as a result Of a project
initiated by the federation several
years ago. A full-time chaplain
at Gallinger is also there as
result of a suggestion made by
the federation to the Chevy Chase
Presbyterian Church.
This marks the first time the
church women have participated
In a project of this kind. though
for years they have worked with
the institutions where the fede-
rated churches carry on their
work.
The church women's Christmas
calendar is filed with parties and
other activities in behalf Of the
city's sick and underprivilegsd.
Under the leadership of Mrs. A.
P. johnson, each of the wards at
Freedmen's Hospital has been
adopted by a church group, and
individual gifts are being provided
for the 500 patients there. Each
ward will have a tree and Christ
mas party.
A similar program, under the
craftsmanship of Mrs. Wallace N.
Streeter and Mrs. Charles H.
Thompson, will be carried out in
the wards at Gallinger.
Gifts for the prisoners at Lorton
and the District jail will be pro-
yided, and another committee Is
planning distribution of presents
to children throughout the city.
Gifts and checks are being re-
ceived at the church women's
headquarters at 1751 N street
NV. Donors have been requested
to- make the checks out to the
General Department Of Church
Women of the Washington Fede-
ration of Churches.