Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-14
MOTHER, S CHILDREN L
How DC. FomiIy
Lives on Relief Check
BY EMERSON BEAUCHAMP

By EMERSON BEAUCHAMP
How well family get along on a District public
assistance check and nothing else?
This question lies at the center the debate over
whether to increase relief grants of solving the
Districts welfare problems.
Seeking The Star visited family which Welfare
Department workers ranks the of
learned how to get along their allotment checks
The family, mother and five children, receive $17430
MONTHS cent of what the Welfare Department figures
they need grants increased to 100 per cent the
Welfare Department recommends the family would get $20
a month. 81
How close does the present grant to meeting the
needs of such family that gets along about well as
anyone could on the money they receive?
Husband Jailed
Mrs has been of relief three times since 1852
She went back the public assistance rolls
last October when her husband Jailed nonsupport
Mrs and her five children, ranging in age from to TO-
live in onebedroom apartment the ground floor of
walkup building in Northwest her furniture
left over from better days The shabby but poess living
room contains two faded easy chairs sagging studio
couches, rickety table and lnoeum the floor
Mrs. B. sleeps of the ccuches
tiny bedroom crammed with size metal cots
and crib for the baby The older children three bows and
girl, sleep two to bed.
wel-scrubbed bathroom narrow crowded kitchen
complete the apartment
When Mrs receives check at the beginning
OF each month"; she first pays her rent $685. without utilities
$50 Week for Food
The gas electric bills come next Gas is used for both
heating and cooking which the charge high $25
very cold month dropped to slS in February March,
1t was SIS Electricity adds another So month
With the rent and utility bills of the way Mrs B has
between 500 and 500 left depending big gas
has BEEN She budgets $40 week-about $50 month
for food.
How does she feed family of six on $40 week? Only
the baby gets mika quart day. The other children
times are given little milk their breakfast cereal.
none to drink. Mrs B. eats only day
Lunch consists of bowl of soup a sandwich both.
There is meat for dinner about three times week.
One day last week for instance, the children had bowl
of oatmeal and slice of toast breakfast The cereal
mad little sugar on it but no milk or butter.
Lunch Is One Sandwich
For lunch the children had bologna sandwich apiece
with little salad dressing.
Dinner was beef stew, made with meat left
Sunday and slice of bread Mrs joined the children
this meal her only of the day
After the family is fed Mrs. BIS keeping
them clothed She finds she needs to replace at least
pair OF WORKOUT outgown shoes every month
times two pairs This be impossible course when
gas bill is high
Not much is left for other Clothes but when she can
Mrs buys the children something to She buys no
clothes for herself Right now dress the
three boys well enough them Sunday school, She
has Sunday clothes for two of them which saving until
all three can go together.
Others Do Worse
The one sign of prosperity in the apartment eevson
set and is deceptive The borrowed from Mrs BIS
disappointment when it taken away There no radio to
take its place
Not all families relief manage nearly so well as Mrs B.
Another mother with five children who only few blocks
away and receives $1709S lives in $60a month basement
apartment which is damp and cold children are sesS
and grlmy and all five of them sleep in double bed
Mrs b. case therefore, cannot be taken the
average mother on relief Her story does demonstrate though
how far an allotment check expected to go under
present public assistance grantsgiven the
agement