Homemakers Program 1962-1969
From the beginning, the family life program offered a variety of classes in homemaking and home management to women. Women met in public and non-public schools, women’s organizations and clubs, churches, and community centers to learn new skills and share ideas. As the economic needs of the community increased, the family life program extended home management classes into the metropolitan housing project’s centers and settlement houses. During the 1960’s, adult education-vocational training for home assistants and child care center aides was added to the program.
“Youngstown Schools Adult Education Department Irons Out Household Problems, Particularly Budgets.”
(news article, 1951)
“In May 1962, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency announced a joint effort to improve health, education, and welfare services in public housing projects, where many low-income families new to city life live. Calling for expansion of programs in urban centers ‘to help low-income families, who, for lack of skills, seem unable to manage a household well.’ The agency observed a population movement from rural areas to urban centers created hardships and difficult adjustments [for families]. They called on ‘state welfare departments to seek ways to reach all segments of the population.’ ” (Improving Home and Family Living Among Low-Income Families, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, May 1962, foreword.)
Youngstown, like all large, urban, manufacturing centers, experienced unpredictable economic and demographic changes. In the 1960’s the Family Life Education Department expanded its program to address the changing needs of the community. While maintaining the school and community study groups and workshops, the department developed a comprehensive home management program for residents in low-income housing developments. These federally-funded programs suggested the opportunity to provide assistance in improving family living through home management skills that could translate into potential employment of participants as home assistants, nursery school aides, hospitality service occupations, seamtresses, and health care aides, etc.
Gertrude Hendricks had always made economic thrift and consumer education a central theme in her homemaking and home management classes. In the 1960’s a greater demand for economizing resources in low-income families and ADC mothers resulted in an expanded program. When June Weamer was added to the staff in 1962 (1962-1969), as Associate Coordinator, the programs were extended into the neighborhood centers of low-income housing projects, settlement houses, missions, rehabilitation and welfare centers.
In a memo to Kenneth Herbert, 1961, Gertrude Hendricks wrote about the need for food demonstrations using surplus commodities.
“Three years ago, parents started asking me about the use of dried eggs and milk. I also realized as I worked with the Hospital Care Fund Agency and the Community Chest in the summer time, making home calls … that much of the dried eggs were just left in refrigerators and not used, or given away … not because the family did not need them, but because they didn’t know how to use them. Just to give out a piece of paper to these persons is not nearly as effective as a demonstration … where we actually use these foods in recipes that have been demonstrated. With this philosophy in mind, I set to work to find out how we could do this in our parent education groups on a more extensive basis.”
Economy was an important feature in homemaking and home management curriculum. Stretching dollars was important whether repairing a coat, selecting ingredients for a meal, or buying on credit. For both the low-income family and the laid-off steelworker’s family the workshops in homemade candies, breads, gifts and decorations for the holidays were popular events in the family life education program. Gertrude Hendricks wrote in her Plans for 1962-1963 the need for adapting homemaking classes to the economic needs of participants.
“Explore ways of helping those mothers who work and need to work … only wage earner. Many management problems exist. Finances … unemployment, re-training, relief, lower incomes, buying practices, use of money, loans, etc. All situations affecting families. Explore ways of helping. Continue work in consumer education … more important now than when we pushed it three years ago. Some [enrollees in the classes] state … ‘it has saved them now in times of crisis.’ Explore ways of working with those families on relief.” (Annual Report 1961-9162)
“Finances were a real issue in our area … many were without incomes and no Christmas. Some parents stated after the meeting, ‘This will be all that we’ll have.’ The total cost of the following three items 55¢ … some said later, some couldn’t pay it all … no pressure made to secure outstanding accounts where money was a real issue. Parent leaders – this responsibility upon themselves to collect or not to collect. All raw materials furnished by Mrs. Hendricks … wax for candles bought wholesale … oak tag for large stars from Board of Education supplies, but glitter furnished by Mrs. Hendricks … wreaths from 5¢ of chicken wire and tin can lids cut into fancy, interesting designs and wired onto the wreath. Wreaths used for doors or sprayed with lacquer for the cemetery. Wreath, stars, 2 wax candles from Paro wax.” (Annual Report 1961-1962)
Specialists were invited to share their expertise at workshops. Extensive materials on household equipment were prepared and presented to the Youngstown classes by Ohio State University’s Ruth Beard.
Tours were arranged on various homemaking and consumer issues. Tours lasting a half- day taking participants to such places as factories, police departments, crime lab, courts, settlement houses, missions, neighborhood centers, vocational training centers, hospitals and clinics, banks, and grocery stores. Gertrude Hendricks summarized a few of the tours in the annual reports.
“How to Buy Furniture Wisely – it’s construction, use, care … tour furniture factory at King Swing Specialty, East Palestine [Ohio]. Key industry in the area (cost, labor, etc.) 1 session – four hours.” [72 people from 3 schools and 35 people from upholstery groups on Federal Project attended – Annual Report 1969-1970]
“How to Buy Good Used Clothing and Furniture – Tour Goodwill Industries where they employ handicap people and make used items available to the public … saw plant in operation then took them to store outlet and showed them how to make wise selections to fit their needs. Key Rehabilitation. 1 session – four hours.” [112 people from six schools and 12 from staff of the Federal Project attended – Annual Report 1969-1970]
“How Steel is Made – Tour of Republic Steel Company – main industry in our area. Saw it made, pipe, from the scrap iron to ingot, to strip mill, to pipe … painted and shipping center … goes all over the world too. Appreciated the amount of work that goes into making steel … some of the mothers said, ‘I’ll never yell at him again when he comes home … that’s hard work.’ Popular tours for fathers too … for many do not work in mills or they work in another mill and always anxious to compare. 1 session, 3 hours.” [67 people from 2 schools attended the tour – Annual Report 1969-1970]
Descriptions from Gertrude Hendricks and June Weamer
“Sewing and related programs – largely consist of sewing basics in construction of children’s garments, alterations, easy-sew adult garments, coverlets, pillows, inexpensive Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter projects (aprons, candles, decorations), stuffed toys, cloth nursery school books (with zipper, buttons, snaps, shoe laces, etc.). Draperies made for neighborhood and center apartments, inexpensive bazaar articles (aprons, shoe bags, etc.)
Food preparation – easy serve meals, share recipes in once-a-month luncheon meetings, canning lessons (fruits, vegetables, relishes, jellies). Special occasion meal recipes served Thanksgiving dinner to neighborhood staff, housing school, and other guests. ‘Meals on Wheels’ program operating in one center for senior citizens (one day a week). Planning and table etiquette and serving. Tours to candy factory, supermarket, and fabric center.
Home management problems discussed in regular activity groups. Practice and demonstration procedures in home care in center’s demonstration apartment. Personal conferences with enrollees on individual home management problems. (Some enrollees are referred to class by Children’s and Family Service Organization.) Frame pictures for homes, spray and decorate old pans, trays, and cans.
Work with senior citizens group as a resource person and as consultant in plan a ing once a week activities in neighborhood center. Series of discussion meetings with mothers group – nutrition and clothing, everyday living, childhood diseases, school health problems (Amblyopic clinic set up for all neighborhood center children – Victory Center made the plans for all the centers.” (Annual Report 1968-1969)
“Used ideas in crafts for ‘pin money’ ideas. Many used articles made in craft for bazaar ideas in their churches and schools. Several made and sold aprons and candles for ‘pin money.’ Chocolate fruit and nut eggs were made and sold at Easter.” (June Weamer, Annual Report 1968-1969)
“Obtained employment for enrollees in management classes. One enrollee in upholstering class has been able to work for pay (Hanson Center). Part-time cook at Crittenton Home has been employed from Robinson Center class. Cook in Day Care Center at Robinson was an enrollee in class.” (Annual Report 1968-1969)
“Allowing enrollees to help in planning programs helped to bring out hidden abilities and made them realize they were helping others in the community by sharing their talents which they had not expressed before on account of timidity.” (Annual Report 1968-1969)
“Florence Crittenton Home for unwed mothers program consist of self-improvement unit, operation of sewing machines, use of patterns, garment construction, embroidery stitches, inexpensive gifts (dolls, aprons, pillows, robes). Meal planning, serving family and special occasion meals, table etiquette, simple food preparations, special party and special occasion refreshments. Table decorations (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter). Home planning and interior decorating project. Act as resource person and consultant in Crittenton Home Special Programs in Home Economic Areas.” (Annual Report 1968-1969)
“Housing Areas and Associated Neighborhood Centers – working with low income families, mothers group from pre-school … Hagstrom and Hanson Neighborhood Centers. Demonstration Centers for Family Life Classes – Apartments at Hagstrom and Hanson Areas, Victory, Briar Hill, Southside Community Centers. Goals to improve homemaking skills for working in own homes and to secure additional skills for working outside the home … for economic gain.” (Annual Report 1966-1967)