WIXLIB

THE NEED OFPHILADELPHIA’SYOUNG WOMENA MOVEMENT TOMEET IT

What Does Philadelphia NeedMOST?Suitably Planned Buildings For ItsGirls and Young WomenFor their Leisure Hours, for Recreation, Fellowship and TrainingPhiladelphia has nobly provided buildings for its MENWe ask Philadelphia Now to provide suitably for itsYOUNG WOMEN“For the Greater Good of GREATER PHILADELPHIA”

Young Women’s Christian Association1800 Arch Street, Philadelphia

IThe PropositionT IS proposed to raise 750,000 by a general canvass ofmen and women, April 15th to 30th, to properly equipthe Young W omen's Christian Associations of Phila delphia for their work in the various sections of the city.The money is to be used as follows:First.—Two hundred thousand dollars for a new centralbuilding in or near the shopping center of the city, to providelunch rooms, rest rooms, class and club rooms, a gymnasiumand equipment for all the activities of a large Association.Second.—One hundred and fifty thousand dollars for theerection of a building for the Northeast Branch in Kensing ton district, in order to minister to the needs of the thousandsof young women in the large industrial centers there.Third.—Twenty-five thousand dollars for an addition,now greatly needed, for the Boarding Home, 1800 Arch Street.Fourth.—Thirty thousand dollars for the erection of abuilding for the Southwest Branch (the Colored Association).Fifth.—Forty-three thousand dollars for the establish ment of a West Philadelphia Branch, for which there is agreat and growing demand.Sixth.—Twenty-five thousand dollars to carry out plansfor work among immigrant women.Seventh.—One hundred and sixty-two thousand dollarsfor the erection of a new and adequate building for theYoung Women’s Christian Association of Germantown.Eighth.—Thirty thousand dollars for the Falls Branch ofthe Germantown Association at Falls of Schuylkill.Ninth.—Sixty thousand dollars for the maintenance ofthe enlarged work until revenue from membership and activ ities in the buildings have brought normal revenues.Tenth.—Twenty-five thousand dollars for Young Women’sChristian Association of the Woman’s Medical College ofPennsylvania.It is evident that such a program will appeal to thethinking and contributing public at this time when the mindsof all are directed toward the needs of young women in ourlarge cities, a need which such an organization, standingas a protective and preventive agency, as well as a social,educational and religious force, is well qualified to meet,when given proper equipment and support.Such a canvass as this will prevent the necessity ofrepeated appeals for these various Branches, and no furthersolicitation will be made for two years.Subscriptions may be made payable in four install ments, six months apart, beginning May 1, 1913.Checks should be made payable to The Girard TrustCompany, Treasurer of the Special Young Women’s Chris tian Association Funds.3

A Noon Factory MeetingSThe Need in Philadelphiatatistics show that with present facilities theYoung Women’s Christian Associations have onlybegun to touch the problem of ministering to thesethousands of women.Night after night transients are turned away for lackof accommodations in the Boarding Home, and the Matronsare forced to send these travelers to recommended boardinghouses. There is a waiting list for permanent boarders.Nothing is being done to help the large number of immi grant girls, and an International Institute for these foreignyoung women, which shall be for them a protective, educa tional and social agency, is a crying need.The Colored Young Women’s Christian Association isstruggling with poor equipment to care for the large numberof colored girls coming from the South and needing pro tection in such a large city as Philadelphia.4

A Kitchen Garden ClassThe small building in Kensington is crowded at thenoon hour with the girls from the neighboring mills whocome there for lunch.There is no present provision for the needs of theyoung women ofest Philadelphia, which in itself is a cityof the seventh magnitude, and is fast becoming the resi dence district for a large majority of the women workers.The Germantown Association is inadequately equippedto attract the 38,833 young women residing in this section,because of its lack of gymnasium, lunch room, class andclub rooms.The Falls of Schuylkill Branch, which has more thandoubled its membership during the one year since its occu pancy of the new building, is already too small for thecrowds of enthusiastic girls and women thronging its pleas ant rooms.5

A Lesson in Millinery IWhat is the Young Women’sChristian Association?T IS a high-class, far-sighted investment in one of thegreatest undeveloped resources of humanity—its youngiwomen.It is a wise and economical enlistment of young womenthemselves in the work of their own development.It is an attractive and workable combination of social,attractions, athletics, education, religion and organization,the most effective agencies known in mutual benefit workamong women.It is a far-reaching effort of practical and resourcefulwomen through more than sixty years in almost everynation of the world on a solution of the manifold and urgentproblems of young women.6

lInterior, Germantown AssociationIt is a philanthropic and also self-interested provisionof an all-round opportunity for young women.It provides a social center, offering wholesome fun andfellowship to young women, who are thus kept away fromevil influences.It provides a gymnasium; the young women use it andput increased health and energy into their daily duties.It provides a night school; the young women join it,and gain and keep higher places open to them in commer cial life.It provides the Gospel; which the young women prac tise, and because of their influence the community cutsdown expenses for asylums, courts and jails.It invests money; it gets womanhood.It invests sympathy; it gets friendship.It invests time and effort; it cultivates character thatcontinues and perpetuates itself for the economic, moraland spiritual betterment of the world.7

New Building, Los AngelesCharacteristic Features of a ModernAssociation BuildingSOCIAL fellowship and reception rooms, where mem bers may receive their friends; hall for religious andsocial gatherings; educational, industrial and Biblestudy class rooms; club and recreation rooms; library andreading rooms; gymnasium, swimming pool, baths and lock ers ; cafeteria lunch room, rest and retiring rooms for busi ness women, shoppers and teachers; rooms for permanentand transient boarders; offices and committee rooms; roofgarden.Questions and AnswersQuestionAnswer1. Does the Young Women’sChristian Associationreach the class of girlswho need it?The foregoing figures showthat almost 4000 of all classesof girls value its membership,and thousands of others, whilenot members, avail themselvesof its privileges.By its very basis and meth ods it becomes a vital andpracticalextensionoftheChurch, and the best Associa tion workers are the bestChurch supporters.2. Does it not take girls awayfrom their Church?8

QuestionAnswer3. Does it not keep youngwomen away from home?The Y, W. C. A. does notreceive as permanent boardersany whose parents live inPhiladelphia. There are 50,000women boarding in this City,and there are many unprofit able and harmful places ofpublic recreation. There is anappalling need for homes suchas we women can provide forrelaxation and recreation, safefellowships and opportunitiesfor self-improvement.4. Is this an unnecessary addi tion to the charities de manding support?The Young Women’s Chris tian Association is no more acharity than is a college, wherethe tuition fee pays only a partof the cost of maintenance.No other agency in the citydoes the work for which theAssociation is organized. Allwomen and girls are wel comed to its membership—Protestant, Catholic, Jewish,and women of other or noreligious beliefs are entitled toits privileges.Its member ship includes girls of all na tionalities.It is the mostdemocratic organization pos sible, and enlists in its supportand promotion each memberwho receives its benefits.BWe Specialize on the YoungWomaneginning with the glrl of eight years, our field in cludes the girl in the school, the factory, the laundry,the store, the telephone and telegraph, the office, thecollege, and the home.Each class has its need and its op portunity, and the Association, with a suitable building,would serve a larger number in its mission as a center ofexchange not only for the self-supporting women, but forthe women of the home and the girls who have had collegeadvantages. All find here opportunity for fellowship, cul ture and mutual helpfulness.9

National Headquarters, New York CityTResults of Campaignshe short-term plan of campaign for Associationbuildings has, during the last few years, provenitself a success, in lifting money-raising from a dis tasteful effort of continued begging, into a dignified andeducational public movement, doing in two weeks whathitherto has taken years to do. Cities all over the countryare realizing the needs of young women and have respondedgenerously.Newark with 350,000 for a new building,now in process of erection; Brooklyn with 500,000 foradministration building and separate boarding home. NewYork is now raising a fund of 4,000,000, 3,000,000 ofwhich is to be devoted to women’s work. One of thesebuildings in New York for the offices of the NationalBoard and for the Training School for Secretaries for theAssociations of the United States has already been erectedat a cost of 800,000, the gift of FOUR WOMEN.10

A Lesson in CookingPlan for CampaignThe General Campaign Committee is the Joint Execu tive Committee representing the Boards of Directors of thePhiladelphia and Germantown Young JVomen's ChristianAssociations and an equal number of business and profes sional men serving as advisers.The plan for Philadelphia's Women's Campaign is asfollows:An Honorary Committee of fifty women;A Citizen’s Committee of fifty men;A Business iMen’s Committee of twenty teams, of tenmen each;Professional Women’s Committee, five teams, tenwomen each;Women’s Committee of twenty teams, ten women each;College Women’s Committee, five teams, ten each.Each worker on these teams agrees to give a part ofeach day to this work between April 15th and 30th, callingon twelve or fifteen thousand people in every section ofPhiladelphia, and to be present at the luncheon at head quarters each day.Campaign Headquarters, Wain Floor, 1420 ChestnutStreet.11

A Dressmaking ClassSignificant FactsFigures Showing Extent and Variety of the Activities of YoungWomen's Christian Associations of Philadelphia and Germantown.Total membership during 1912 .Enrollment in Educational Classes .Enrollment in Gymnasium Classes .Number classes weekly .Enrollment in Bible Classes .Number Bible Classes weekly .Number reached in factory meetings .Campfire groups, 12, with enrollment .Club girls sent to Camp Nepahwin .Girls entertained at Penllyn Holiday House .“““ Sea Rest-Whelen, Asbury Park.Permanent boarders .Transients .Meals served in restaurant 70,503Women in Philadelphia.Total population of City (approximate) . 1,500,000Number women employed .150,000““boarding .53,311“single women .45,971“women in factories .68,000“of factories employing 100 or more women.4,420Percentage of foreign-born women in City .25%*Small enrollment due to poor equipment.12