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WWI
Bureau of Social Service
McLean County, Illinois
(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

The Bloomington Bureau of Social Service, which in peace is a fulltime organization devoted to family welfare work, took on new aspects during the war, and gave to the newer local organization of the Red Cross the benefit of its trained personnel and experience. One department of Red Cross work in particular, the home service, found in the Bureau a strong ally and at times a valued leader. Much that was best in Home Service work as the war progressed, the Bureau of Social Service helped to build in the earlier days. Soon after America 's entry into the war, the government took over every available trained social service worker, and most of these were asked to give all or much of their time to war emergency work. There is an art in dealing with families in abnormal conditions such as the war brought, and that art is acquired only by careful teaching and supervised experience. Mrs. Jacob Bohrer, who became head of the home service work of the Red Cross in this county, testified to the inestimable value of the Bureau in organizing the home service department of the Red Cross. The Bloomington chapter of Red Cross established courses in training its workers, and the Bureau of Social Service was responsible for the field work of these volunteer visitors, both in theory and practice. Their instruction was under the direction of Mrs. Mabel H. Seymour, General Secretary. Mrs. Seymour also acted as a member of the advisory committee of the Home Service department of the Red Cross during the period of the war. Mrs. Naoma M. Fry, assistant to Mrs. Seymour, gave much of her time, training and experience as a social worker to the Red Cross Home service work. The sum total of the Bureau's work was no small item in keeping up the morale of many families whom the war had placed under an unusual strain. [McLean County, Illinois, in the World War, 1917-1918; by Edward E. Pierson & Jacob Louis Hasbrouck c 1921]

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