President T. Harry Ainlay

1st. Vice President Ivan Shantz

2nd. Vice President and Hon.Solicitor J.E.Clement

Treasurer HoF. Major

The Board of Directors 19,?0-151

Present Staff

Directors Mrs.C.L. Beck Edmund Boyer Mrs. L.o.Breithaupt Rev.A.L.Conrad John Cook E.J.Elder Miss Mabel Feik Rev. W .F.Gleason Dr.Rachel Haight Mrs. F.R. Harvey Leo Henhoeffer Rev.O.P.Hossie Miss Irma Hueglin Mrs. P.J. McGarry

Mrs. Alvis P.Stayt ••••• Executive Director

Mrs. Isabel Murray Uiss Jean Lambert Mrs• Eileen Walsh

Office 4 Queen Street North Kitchener, Ontario 2-7846

A Community Service Supported by Federated Charities

)o A NEW AGJ!NCY SUPPORTED BY K-W FEDERATED CHARITIES••••

In November,1950, the Kitchener-waterloo Family Service Bureau opened its door at 4 Queen Street Worth, Kitchener, Ontario, thus adding one more link to the chain of family services in Canada.

The petitioners for this organization were the citizens of

Kitchener and Waterloo who had long elt that a community service able to handle family problems at a preventative level was badly needed.

Spear-headed by the K-W Social Workers' Council and the

Junior Chamber of Commerce, a survey was completed which confirmed the increasing need for a family agency in this community.

Convinced that there was sufficient interest and demand for

such a service, the group next approached the Canadian Welfare Council in ottawa to obtain further evaluation and advice on the proposed new agency.

Resultantly, it was agreed that the new agency would not dupli- cate or replace any of the existing agencies. It would be a service agency rather than a relief giving agency.

Taken into account was the realization that the saving in

dollars and cents would be great since thec·0st of a -prr.nrentative service is always a mere fraction of the cost of placiilg children, maintaining delinquents in "correctional" institutions and caring for the mentally and physically ill in hospitals. Also recognized was the fact that the saving of unhappiness and social breakdown would be tremendous. It was agreed that the new agency would follow the traditional pattern of other family agencies in Canada and the United States, offering skilled help and counselling on marital difficulties, parent-child problems, adolescent conflicts, mental, emotional and physical illness, handicap and economic adjustments.

With a strong and representative Board of Directors drawn from

_ the_citie_s_of Ki.tchener and waterloo, the service - the need for which

was so apparent from the beginning- got underw91.

FUNCTION OF THE AGENCY

Under the Charter granted by the Provincial Government the agency was declared to be:

"A corporation without share· capital under the name of

Kitchener-Waterloo Family Service Bureau" for the.following purposes and objects, that is to say:

(a) To offer assistance to families disorganized.by environmental or personality factors or other conditions for the purpose of creating and maintaining Wholesome family life, to encourage education and training for social work, and generally to develop, encourage and work for the welfare of the individual and the best interest of society in all matters affecting family and community life.

(b) To provide for the delivery and holding of lectures, exhibitions, public meetings,classes and conferences calculated, directly and indirectly, to advance the objects hereinbefore set out: and

(e) For the furtherance of the foregoing objects, to accept gifts,

donations and<Evises of property, both real and personalo 11

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The function of our agency is to help families who have problems

which they cannot adequately solve without professional case work assistanceo We give this professional service regardless of race, colour, c:r:eed or economic status of the individual. Families and individuals who seek aid are by no means of the so-called 11underprivileged11 classo In fact, the reverse is the caseo

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CASE WORK ACTIVITIES

During the first year 235 families, involving over 1,200 men, women

and children, availed themselves of the service we were offering. As a result, a number of parents on the verge of separation early in 1951 are now living together more happily than hitherto, and bringing up their children to be useful citizenso

The majority of the people coming to the K-W Family Service

Bureau for help came because of some difficulty which was causing marital discordo Sometimes the discord was caused by a problem which, given careful thought, planning and effort by the individuals most concerned, and augmented by professional case work service, could be removed or mitigatedo

Take, for example, the young couple who had the wife's mother living with themo There were no ap- parent personality differences between this young couple until the arrival of the mother-in-law, but when they came to the K-W Family Service Bureau, they had been sent by a lawyer to whom they had gone regarding a separationo

The mother-in-law had always seemed to be a pleasant, sensible woman until the loss of her husband un- covered insecurity and fears that had lain dormant for many years. This woman clung to her daughter - an only child - to such an extent that her daughter's husband became unreasonably jealous and hostile, which brought out feelings of resentment and frus- tration in his wifeo

The situation deteriorated to the point where differ- ences of opinion regarding the mother-in-law spilled over into all areas of their family lifeo

It was possible to help these three people to an understanding of themselves and of each other, and to show them how the quarrelling and turmoil was threatening their small children by endangering their securityo The mother-in-law was helped to adjust to life without her husband, and to find

gainful employment which did much to restore her confidence in herself and to give her a feeling of security, so that she no longer clung so desperately to her daughter who was unable to meet her needs.

HOUSING ••••

The lack of adequate living accommodation at a price people can afford to pay is one of the major causes of marital discord in this community, as it is elsewhere.

It has been said with pride that a high percentage of Kitchener

and Waterloo families mvn their own homes. Though such pride is justified, it is equally well known how many families have decided to buy their own homes against overwhelming odds, because they were unable to rent.

Many have had to borrow the down-payment, and meeting these

payments as well as mortgage payments has meant regularly 11borrowing from Peter to pay Paul" with resulting worry, fear, anxiety, depres- sion - all leading inevitably to friction in the home.

Then there are the families who cannot raise the down-payment

and who go on paying rents out of all proportion to their salaries because cheaper accommodation cannot be found.

There are other families herded miserably together -- 2 or 3

families in a house that would barely accommodate one family, having regard to the number of children involved.

Though it is possible to help a great many of these families to

adjust to circumstances which cannot be changed, and to cope with problems arising from poor or inadequate housing, others continue to bicker and quarrel until eventually the family separates.

Unfortunately there are a few cases on record where the wife and

children have returned to her parental home causing overcrowding and difficulty in what had hitherto been a peaceful setting, and so providing yet another case for the Family Service Bureau.

FINANCES •••••

Another cause for marital discord is the failure of salaries generally to keep pace with the cost of livinge

This. has placed a high percentage of fa-nilies in the low margin,

or no margin group; families who hitherto had always "saved something for a rainy day". What happens to such a family when sudden emergencies arise? The family is burdened with a debt. Vv'here before, they had just managed to "get by", they are now obliged to cut down on essentials vital to the health and well-being of their individual members.

Troubles seldom come singly, and before our family is clear of

6.

one problem, another is upon them - the second having gathered momentum from the first. For example - where shortage of money leads to worry and irritation and so to the disruption of what had been good family relationships.

The majority of individuals can cope wi. th the ordinary

stresses of·everyday living, but it is only natural that undue strain and pressure reveals the weak threads in the personality fabric. In these situations the family caseworker can help the family by regular counselling to cope with the undue pressures and so avoid having the breadwinner become so discouraged as to leave the family at the mercy of the community.

Several such cases have been known to our agency during the

past year, and these cases represent a significant saving of tax- payer's moneyo

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GENERAL •••

Of the many cases of marital discord recorded at the agenc.y,

a great number have their roots in difficulties other than, or contributing to, financial or housing problems.

Many individuals, having no apparent marital discord, avail

themselves of our other services related to budgetting, parent- child relationships, health and employment problems.

Of the total number of people who came to the agency during

_the year for help with a wide range of problems, a large proportion were suffering from mental or emotional difficulties.

The emotional disturbances have been for the most part of

a temporary nature and we have been able to treat them. We have also been able to treat the less severe forms of neurotic difficulties -- sometimes through consultation with Doctor Brillinger of the Mental Health Clinic, who works along with us and who has rendered invaluable assistance during·the past year. We have also given a service to the more seriously disturbed clients, through interpretation to them or to their families, of the need for psychiatric help.

EMPLOYMENT 0 •••

The employment situationthat has been in existence in the

Twin Cities for the past few months has caused very real distress to fam lies known to the agency, and has led many new families to our door.

It is exceedingly difficult for a family earning, say,

$45.00 per week, to adjust to living on $21.00 per week Unemployment Insurance benefits, and this adjustment must be faced sometimes for many weeks. Often, the formerly earned $45.00 per week represented the absolute minimum on which the family

could function when it was necessary for them to pay out at least $40.00 to $50.00 per month for rent. Add to that the cost of light, fuel and food, and you can see the problem involved in meeting even essential expenses.

The sum of $21.00 per week is paid the bread-winner rece1V1ng

Unemployment Insurance benefits, regardless of the number of children to be fed, housed and clothed. When Unemployment Insurance credits have expired, even that $21.00 per week is eliminated, and since the bread-winner is still employable, definitely is not eligible for relief from the City Welfare Departments.

NOT DEAD-BEATS

•••• Many men known to the K-W Family Service Bureau have gpod work records and have always provided adequately for their families until the present situation evolved, and despite the present employment situation have made, and are continuing to make, every possible effort to get work. Some of these men have been obliged to sell treasured possessions -- to beg from the churches -- and finally to enlist in the Army in order that they and their families survive.

Such men are not dead-beats. They are deeply hurt and shamed

by circumstances totally beyond their control••••••

ooGeooooo•ooo

Before concluding this report, I would like to pay tribute to

the many public-spirited people in the Twin Cities who have given so generously to this agency of their time and interest, as well as giving practical and material aid.

These people are too numerous to mention individually, but we

want them to know how deeply we appreciate their help,whether the help has taken the form of a cheque, or of interest and co-operation.

I would like to menti on also the number of people in the Twin

Cities who are interested in our work and who have expressed the intention of increasing their annual donation to Federated Charities as a means of furthering the work of their new K-W Family Service Bureau. We want these people to know that we are every bit as appreciative of this form of help as we are of individual help for specific purposes.

IN CONCLUSION

I would like to express my sincere appreciation for help and

co-operation to our President, Mr. Ainlay, to members of.the Board, to Miss Lambert who has worked closely with me from the early days, and to staff members who have come to us recently.

Respectfully submitted,

Alvis P.Stayt, Executive Director.

5,874.03 Automobile Expenses and de:preciation ••o •••••••• o ••• o 949.10 Casework ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• o 460.64 Casework disbursements recoverable •••••••••••••••••• 147.00 Educational material ••••••••••••o••ooo•••••o•••••••• 30.83 Office:

B.

KITCHENER-WATERLOO FAlvliLY SERVICE BUREAU

STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS

Year ended December 31,1951

-0- Cash on hand and in bank, December 31, 1950 ••••.•••

Receipts:

Grant- Federated Charities •••••••••••••••••••••• l)ona tions, cash ...................•...........••• Membership fees for 1951 ••••••••••••• 165.00 Membership fees for 1952 and subsequent •••••••••••••••••••••••o•• 236.00 401.00

Less:

6,500.00 201.50

2,520.54

mbership drive expenses paid Membership fees disbursed on Office equipment

Disbursements:

71.51

48.75 120o26

280.74 6,982.24

9,502.78

Rent ••• o • ••••••••••••••••• o ••• ••• o- •• •• o •• Boo.oo Supplies ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Telephone and postage ••••••••••••••••••••

279.94 257.02

1,336.96

Miscellaneous ·······················••••••••••••••••

Cash on hand and in bank,December 31, 1951 •• o •

124.38 8,922.94

$ 579.84

Current:

BAlANCE SHEET

December 31,1951

-o-

-ASSETS-

Cash on hand and in bank • • • • • • • o • • o •

Casework disbursements recoverable o • • • • • o

Expenses re 1952 membership drive paid in advance.

Fixed:

579 84 147o00 726.84

19.55

Automobile ••••••••••• 1,800.00

Office Furniture • • • • • 0 • . . •

'-:'1.00 1,166.50

Less Reserve for depreciation. • 0 • • •

634.50 1,165.50 $1,912.89

Current:

- LIABILITIES -

Bank Loan • • • • • ••• • • • • • • 0 • • • 0 1,ooo.oo

Account Payable • • • • • • • . . . .• . . 115.00 Accrued interest and miscellaneous expense 0 • 58.00 1,173.00

Membership fees paid in advance . . . . . .

Surplus: Balance, December 31, 1950 o ••••••••• Less Deficit for year ended December 31,1951.

2,494.14 1,990.25

236.oo

503o89 $1,912.89

Respectfully submitted,

H.F. Major, Treasurer.