Excerpt from an 1895 report on the South Side Ladies’ Sewing Society Of Chicago
We had in our midst such ardent and indefatigable workers that the success of the society was assured, philanthropically, financially and socially. The plan of making many of our poor Jewish women self-supporting is steadily increasing. Our disbursements [distributed gifts] have amounted to $5,187.49, out of which we have supplied 400 families, numbering more than 1,850 persons, with bedding and clothing as well as boy’s underwear and complete children’s outfits.