I certainly remember some of the
struggles and difficulties of my work in a Community Center in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Before I arrived, the former director
had sent a mimeographed sheet in which it was noted that on a
street near the "Mission," as it was called, there were
108 children in one block. The street was not identified. When I
arrived, I started visiting various families in their homes. I
found that many of the streets were crowded with children. It
took me a good two months to be sure which street and block to
which the writing had referred. It was indeed near the Center.Across the street from the Mission was a vacant area, and the neighbors let me know that the city had just demolished several buildings. One of these was "The Bucket of Blood," a "beer joint." I asked why in the world it had such a name and the answer was, "There was a murder there almost every week." One night, I went to visit a home on the crowded street nearby, because the father had just been electrocuted in his own home. He had gone to the basement area to see what he could do about the electricity which had gone off. The basement floor was only dirt, and was often muddy from water leakage. As he turned the electricity on, the water at his feet connected with the current and killed him. I sat with his wife and children and other relatives for part of the night, as was the custom in the community.
The girls in our Scout Troop could not begin to afford uniforms, and we settled for a white blouse and a dark skirt, preferably green. As Halloween approached, the Troop decided to participate in "Trick or Treat" for UNICEF. We made sure that the girls wore their uniforms, and two went together. They also knew that they were not to enter any house. As they left, I remember crying, thinking that these girls were going out to collect money for children in other parts of the world, when they had none themselves! Some came back with money, and some came back with stories of older boys who "robbed them," or with empty boxes. In their troop meeting they made the decision about how they wanted the money used. They were very definite that it should be used for "handicapped children." When I sent it off, I asked that that decision be honored.
The "Mission" has been relocated twice since those earlier years. All the area where I once worked has been remodeled as part of the Capitol grounds. Now the Neighborhood Center has a state-of-the-art building on a street in the same general area. Today, it is well supported, and its program includes a Day Care Center, classes and groups for elementary students, a wonderful woodcraft shop, a chapel, and activities for older people. It has not ceased to be a "good neighbor" to its entire community area.