Page 10 - 1925 November - To Dragma

90 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA 0 MIC RON PI

NEW ORLEANS ALUMNAE CHILD WELFARE WORK

SEVERAL YEARS AGO the New Orleans Alumnae Chapter of
Alpha Omicron Pi began to look about f o r a philanthropic
work in keeping with the national policy of our organization.
I t was then that the New Orleans Child Welfare Units were
brought before our attention and we decided to raise funds f o r
the maintenance and development of stations of this organiza-
tion. The Welfare operates clinics in the poor but thickly popu-
lated districts of the city and there is a large and ever increasing
field for work of this character in this community of some 400,000
population. I t was, therefore, with gratitude that our stations
were received and we were happy, realizing that this was a work
which really counted and for which there was a real need.

The first step taken after deciding our policy was the raising
of necessary funds. I n this regard we were most fortunate.
Rummage sales conducted at stated intervals furnished the major
part of the money. There were bridge parties, donations from
out of town alumnae, and unsolicited donations from the families
of the girls for whom our two memorials were named. During
the last two years our chapter has raised some $575, all of which
is being used f o r our Child Welfare Units. This money buys
and maintains furnishings, paint, wall paper, supplies and appar-
atus for waiting rooms and consulting rooms. The rent, nurses
and doctors fees are handled through the Welfare Association,
but the units are credited to Alpha Omicron Pi.

Our first station, the Helen Grevemberg Memorial, began to
receive patients in the fall of 1923. The clinic is maintained in
one of the most crowded poor districts of the city, and at present
treats more patients than any other station operated. The unit
itself occupies three rooms, two of which are waiting rooms and
one of which is the consultation room. In a report sent us last
year, this station from January to May had 178 patients under
its care, with 417 clinic visits, 62 deliveries, no maternity mor-
tality, and .015% infant mortality.

Although this station had been operating f o r almost a year,
we had not had a formal opening. I t was December 8, Founder's
Day, last year, that we formally presented this station to the