A young lad came with a note from his mother. There were four children at home, all down with chicken pox. Could they have a sleigh so that the older boy could draw wood or coke? They needed fuel. And could they have bedding or warm clothes?
There really was a sleigh for them. Bedding too.
December 26, 1936
Bounteous Holiday Feast Given by Scott Institute
Children and Parents and 150 Men Have Bang-Up Dinner
“The children had the loveliest time yesterday,” Rev. Morris Zeidman, superintendent of the Scott Institute, said today. “There were about 20 of them, and the families sat down to a real turkey dinner, with all the fixings, including plum pudding. And Santa Claus had presents for everybody, besides candies and fruit.” The dining room with its fine tree was gay, too, with Chinese lanterns.
About 150 men had their dinner in the big dining room, with chicken, plum pudding, candy and fruit and so forth.
Numbers of contributions came in for the Scott right up to Christmas Eve.
March 1937
Evicted Four Come to Scott Just in Time
Deserted Mother and Three Children Make Pitiful Picture—Feet Blistered by Trudging
If the city pavements could speak they could tell sad tales. Sometimes these tales do find a sympathetic and helpful audience, and this is one of them. It comes from Rev. Morris Zeidman, superintendent of the Scott Institute.
“We had a family consisting of a deserted mother and her three children come in,” Rev. Zeidman told. “They had been evicted from their home and all day long had been tramping the streets looking in vain for a new one (they had only the assurance of a night’s lodging).
“We had just locked the doors and were preparing to leave when they came, and we just couldn’t send them away hungry. We opened the kitchen, prepared soft boiled eggs for the children, got ready meat and fried potatoes for the mother, and there was plenty of bread and butter and fresh fruit for them all.
“The poor children were very tired—the youngest was only two and the eldest five. The mother washed them all and then took off her shoes to rest her own tired feet, all blistered. Her stockings, we noticed, were in holes. Well, we were able to fix the family up comfortably, give the mother some milk to take to the night’s lodging and some food.
“We see many men in need here but occasionally one comes whose case especially touches us. For instance, we had one man, a respectable, neatly dressed fellow, an elderly bachelor, who has worked all his life and says he can still do a good day’s work at his trade…He had nothing to eat for two days. Then he came here and asked for a meal, for which he wanted to work.
“The poor fellow cried. It just broke our hearts,” Mr. Zeidman finished. “There was timely help for him, of course.”
March 26, 1938
Must Scott Institute Shut? Need $50 Daily to Run It
Contributions Now Average Only $15 to $20 a Day—Pitiful Cases Come for Aid
Will the Scott Institute have to close its doors against the needy because of lack of adequate support? Rev. Morris Zeidman hopes not. But it takes something like $50 a day to maintain the work of emergent relief…Mr. Zeidman would continue to provide meals for the hungry until the end of April, but he feels he cannot incur the responsibility of debt piled up…
Mr. Zeidman pointed out to The Telegram reporter that he was receiving no civic assistance…He finds, however, that large numbers of young men of the best type are coming without tickets, such as are issued to hostel residents. These young men have been able to find lodging for themselves, though for some of them this must be a precarious matter, but they do need food—their pale lips show that.
Then, there are the men who for infringements of rules lose their welfare department tickets temporarily—for instance, they haven’t done their exercises for the day, as they are required…Mr. Zeidman feels, that even so, they can’t be left to starve when they come for a meal.
“It’s awful hard to turn them away,” he said.
December 31, 1938
Scott Institute Figures Upset Claim of Critics
Good Food Is Provided All, Including Those Who Lack Meal Ticket—Needy Cared For
Rev. Morris Zeidman, superintendent of the Scott Institute, comes back with a neat riposte in reference to a recent criticism of the Institute’s relief measures, and specifically to the statement “that a man must have a ticket from the relief office before eating there.”
Mr. Zeidman has provided figures from his books showing meal-by-meal, for a week, the number of ticket holders cared for, the number of non-ticket holders. Adding these two figures it is found that during the week of December 21–28, there were 1,399 meals provided for ticket holders and 786 meals to non-ticket holders…
Having disposed of these matters, Mr. Zeidman went on to tell of some of the more pathetic instances of need…[on] this holiday week. A woman came in with her baby, perhaps two months old and very sick with intestinal flu. The little family is not on relief for the husband earns a meagre wage, not sufficient to keep their cold house adequately warm for the baby.
“We have taken them in hand,” said the Scott superintendent.
April 22, 1939
Scott Institute Shut Down After Heavy Winter’s Work
Rev. Morris Zeidman Completes Voluntary Job for Season—No Meals After Monday
The Scott Institute will close on Monday, The Telegram was told today. Thus will be concluded a great winter’s work, voluntarily undertaken by the Institute’s superintendent, Rev. Morris Zeidman, at the request of welfare authorities. It has been carried on often with difficulty, for emergent relief dispensed on the scale required involves serious financial responsibility. Friends have come splendidly to the support of the work, it is true; but it has taken the most careful management some times to bring ends anywhere near to meeting.
“While we will stop giving meals on Monday, we will for some time have people coming to us for help,” Miss Dixon, of the Institute, said today. “We will still give out as we get in. We are especially in need of men’s shoes and suits.”
April 26, 1939
Rev. M. Zeidman Lauded for Work
Board of Control Commends Scott Institute for Assistance to Needy Persons
On motion of Mayor Day, Board of Control endorsed a resolution commending the work of Rev. Morris Zeidman, of the Scott Institute, in aiding those who find themselves in need of assistance.
The Mayor explained the institute had served about 680,000 meals since it started operation.
“They are doing a very fine work,” Con. Fred Conboy agreed.
Welfare Commissioner Laver informed the board that the institute had supplied 33,000 meals to single unemployed this year, and since 1930 had supplied 676,146 meals to needy persons, without cost to the city.
What Is the Measure? (1953)9
By Annie A. Zeidman
What is the measure of Thy love to me,
O God, my King?
An ocean without