CARING FOR GIRLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19419, 30 August 1926, Page 10

CARING FOR GIRLS.

WORK .OF DOOR OF HOPE.' UNOBTRUSIVE ACTIVITIES. GRATIFYING RESULTS ACHIEVED.' Tucked away in a qniet corner of the city there is an institution which' year, after year carries on an unceasing work for the betterment of the wayward girls who come under its care. advertisement, without any outward show, the work of the Door of Hope Association is performed in a quiet, orderly way. Few know where the Door of Hope is, much less what it does. Only those who are actively engaged in the work or have come into ; touch with it in some way, realise what' fine results have been attained through the efforts of the hostel staff. "The work'is purely preventive," said Mrs. J. Graham, matron of the hostel. "Several people think we help unfortunate girls'who have fallen, but that is not io. We confine our activities to those who, through their wilfulness, may have become involved in some minor trouble."

When the • home was founded 30 years ago work had then been carried out among unmarried mothers, but after 16 years of activity in that direction it was thought better to take the girls in charge before they had drifted too far. In the great majority of cases success had been achieved, but sometimes a girl proved unresponsive and had to be dismissed. The Value of Keligion. The girls were sent in by parents, guardians and sometimes by the probation officer. It- had often turned out that the most desperate of girls had become the best pupils. Ofttimes a girl who had been given up as hopeless would respond willingly to the care bestowed upon her in the home. "Personally," the matron said, "I prefer to take charge of girls with strong wills. They have the greatest power for evil, but if trained properly they prove to have equal capacity • for good." The matron attributed the success of the work to the fact that the Word of God always found a place in the home. " Some people think I give the girls too much religion, but that is not so—in fact, it can never be so." Three Bible studies were given each day, two in the morning and one at night. Although there were several religions represented, . the girls preferred to go to church together. Each girl had her own room, where she could keep her various " treasures." All were trained in cooking and general housework. During the day the younger ones went to school and the older girls worked in offices or did domestic work. Every girl was taught a spirit of independence. They all had a banking account and when; they left the home, generally, after about, two years, they often had £2O or 'more to their, credit.- ~ girls playecl indooF games and a tennis court was badly needed. The girls wero taken away camping twice a year. : '■■ i:■ Typical Cases Cited. The institution has often worked great changes in the lives of girls. A few cages were,cited by the matron. One girl--was Mbrpught in by the probation officer, who had. despaired of her future. Aft erv a spell; at; the home she: -had ■ been able to resume her school studies ; and: was ; now: : entering .Mipon•'the higher; branches of education.- y A very will which brought her into at school -fcaused -the. atiriiission of another girL '-It -was a long'time before sho, would. discipline, ; but fitjally; sho carao roun'd' and was now leada.good Kfe.< •; iiijothefc' 'girltV-;enfc'efe3oVjth only the barest. smattering ,of Christian teaching gleaned from an erratic attendance-at acountry school.-- - -After four months in the home she. responded readily and came into' the full realisation of ' a Christian, life.