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4-2237 FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION MAY 5 For Release Sunday, t-iay 4 , 1941 WIDESPREAD BENEFITS OF WPA COMlVllJNITY SERVICES itEPORTED BY MRS . KERR WPA community service projects are provid.ing cultural, health and welfare set-vices for thousands of und.erprivileged people in every state in the Union, it is shown by a summary of accomplishments released today by Mrs. Flore:-ice Kerr, Assistant WPA Commissioner in charge of the Community Service Program. Highlights of the summary, which is composed chiefly of ,g , sample activity reports for various months during 1940, reveal that over 245,000 adults were enrolled in literacy and naturalization classes conducted by WPA during October; that over 2,500,000 persons attended the free concerts .- of WPA music projects during a like period, and that more than 70,000 ,000 free lunches were s erved undernourished school children during the three months ending December 31. 11 These activities buttress some of the weakest spots in our civilian morale," Mrs. Kerr declared. 11 In spite of the industrial boom now being enjoyed in many parts of the country there are large groups and, indeed, entire communities, which this prosperity has never reached. 11 WPA activities in the fields of health, education, recrea- tion and public welfare provide for these people essential services which would not otherwise be available. At the same time, t hey furnish useful employment to thousands of others for whom t he re are no defense jobs. 11 Supervision of recreation represents an important phase of the WPA Community Service Program, r:irs. Kerr said, and during a single week in November the public devoted a total of 13,859,000 participant hours to recreational activities promoted b~r the WPA. These included playground games and exercises, group activities in community centers, handicrafts, community drama and music. Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 4-2237 -2- In addition to the nearly quarter of a million people enrolled in literacy and naturalization classes, the WPA Adult Education Program during October showed 182,768 persons enrolled in vocational classes; 170,836 in home making and parent education, and 18,095 in a variety of correspondence courses. WPA educational activities, Mrs. Kerr addec., have been largely responsible for the great decrease in adult illiteracy throughout the country during the last five years and have also proved of major importance to thousands of aliens seeking citizenship. Public health activities, as reflected by reports covering a typical two-week period during the winter, included 242,700 examina- ,, tions and treatments, 82,500 tests and 17,200 immunizations. Mu.ch of this work, she said, is carried on in schools and small communities which have no regular public health facilities of their own. (A table is attached showin.g principal aspects of the accomplishments of the WPA Community Service ,P rogram during 1940.) ---oOo-- Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 4-2237 - 3 - ACTIVITY REPORT WPA COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM · For Various Periods in 1940 Number EDUCAJION ACTIVITIES (During October 1940) Adult Education: Literacy and Naturalization Vocational Training Correspondence Work Home Making and Parent Education Other Adult Education Enrollment Enrollment Enrollment Enrollment Enrollment 245,486 182,768 18,095 170,836 415,534 Lectures and Forums Attendance 103,004 Nursery &chools Schools Enrollment 37,667 T<:nrollment Enrollment 9,028 10,935 rSpe~ial Instruction: Institutionalized and Handica:9ped Perso ns Isolated Persons '.1.330 MUSIC ACTIVITIES (During October 1940) Enrollment Performances Attendance Instruction · Concerts Radio Broadcasts 224,107 5,765 2,685,570 319 ART ACTIVITIES Art Instruction During October 1940 Enrollment 51,393 . Art Items Completed (Cumulative through December 31, 1940) 19,986 ?9;406 11,208 988,621 2,179 12,223 Index of American Design Plates Easel Works Fine Print Designs Fine Print Murals Sculptures PUBLIC HEALTH AND HOSPITAL ACTIVITIES Clinic and Other Health Services (During a Two Week Period in January 1940) Examinations and Treatments 242,700 82,500 17,200 Tests :.· Immunizations Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 4-2237 - 4 - Number RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES (During Week Ending November 19, 1940) • Recreational Activities - Total Sports and Athletics Game ~oom Activities Playground Games · Crafts and Visual Arts Dancing Children's Play Centers Music Drama Other Recreational Activities Participant Hours Spectator Hours Particinant Hours Spectator Hours Participant Hours Participant Hours Participant Hours Participant Hours Participant Hours Participant Hours Participant Hours Participa nt Hours 13,859,000 3,029,000 4,817,000 . 1,371,000 2,714,000 1,587,000 1,529,000 681,000 558,000 513,000 337,000 1,093,000 LIBRARY AND BOOK REPAIR AC~IVITY (Cumulative through Dec . 31, 1940) Book Catalog Cards Typed Books Repaired or Renovated 38,944,000 79,546,000 HOUSEEOLD WORKERS TRAI NI NG PROGRAM (Cumulative through June 30, 1940) 17,902 12,831 Trainees Completing Course Trainees Completing Course and Initially Placed WELFARE ACTIVITIES Sewing and Food Preserving (Cumulative Through December 31 , 1940) • Garments Completed - Total Men's Garments Women's Garments Boy' s Garments· Girl I s Garments Infants• Garments Diapers Articles Other Than Garments Completed 312,045,000 61,194,000 70,396,000 53,645,000 63,280,000 38,699,000 24,831,000 85,269,000 Food Preserving Q,uarts Canned Pounds Dried 58,576,000 6 ,1 52,000 Housekeeping Aide Services Visits Made (Cumulative through June 30, 1940) School Lunch Services Three l-ionths Ending December 31, 1940 Cumulative through December 31, 1940 20,468,000 Schools Serviced Lunches Served Lunches Served 18,677 70,223,000 574,852,000 FEDERAL WORKS AG~NCY Digitized by NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION Di<#lJMft~O~ f Statistics NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
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