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Show Community Transient Fund Holds Annual Meeting. Reports Activities The annual meeting of the Community Transient Fund of Cedar City was held recently. The meeting opened with a report re-port of the Fund's activities during dur-ing the first year of its operation, opera-tion, and closed with the election of new officers. The idea of a non-profit corporation cor-poration to assist transients stranded or in distress in Cedar City was first discussed at three meetings called in January 19tVl, at the Catholic Church. All of the communions of Cedar City were invited to these meetings but only four sent representatives. representa-tives. These were the Assembly of God, Baptist. Catholic and Presbyterian Churches. A rough statement of purpose was worked out and later a meeting was called for the purpose of organizing organi-zing the Community Transient Fund of Cedar City. The fund received roughly $100 at that meeting and began operating immediately. im-mediately. J. Harlan Burns is the legal advisor ad-visor for the fund. Through his efforts the Community Transient Fund became officially Incorporated Incor-porated as a non-profit corporation corpora-tion of the State of Utah on October 14, 196-1. As a non-profit corporation, all contributions to the fund are tax deductible. The Board of Trustees for the corporation consists of five persons per-sons who serve for five years each on a rotating basis. The original Board consists of W. S. Leigh, G. H. Gowen, G .O. Gooding, Good-ing, J. D. Quinn and E. R. Harmon. Har-mon. At the last meeting Reed Bradshaw was elected to fill the unexpired terms of John Qp'ri" who moved to Lander, and Rev. Harmon was re-elected to the board for another five year term. President of the board is W. S. Leigh, vice president is Rev. Go-wen Go-wen and secretary treasurer Is G. O. Gooding. At the meeting Rev. Harmon reported that in the past year, roughly 500 transients had been served meals at the rectory of the Catholic Church, which has served as the overall referral center for the fund. Rev Gowen reported that an additional 45 transients received meals at the Arctic Circle through the funds account. The fund has an arrangement ar-rangement with Ernie Humphery, owner and manager of tin Arctic Arc-tic Circle, whereby transients de- 'siring food are Issued a meal tic-ket tic-ket which can be used there. The only other services requiring cash during the past year were transportation trans-portation and lodging. Other services rendered but not requiring cash included gifts of clothing to nine transients, medical medi-cal care given by both the Cedar City Clinic and the Southern Utah Clinic upon referral from Rev. Harmon or Rev. Gowen, and assistance from other community facilities who have served tran-sclents tran-sclents in the past. The splendid cooperaion of these other existing exist-ing service agencies highlights the fact that the Fund was not established to compete with them, but simply to coordinate the work of all exisiting facilities to avoid duplications of effort and get he necessary assistance to needy transients In the most efficient manner with a minimum mini-mum of expense. The total expenditures ex-penditures for the year came to Just under $80 which seems remarkably low for the number of transients assisted by the fund during the year, a number in excess of 500. The an.iual campaign for funds will be conducted throughout the current month by members of the corporation s Board of Trustees. Trus-tees. These persons also have copies of the Fund's by-laws which spell out its operation in full detail. To avoid confusion it should be known that the fund never makes loans. All assistance assis-tance Is given on a non-renu-1 meratlve basis. Also, cash is never handed out by the Fund since all too often the transient will simply spend whatever he receives foolishly. The fund deals only In concrete services which fall in eight categories: cate-gories: gas, groceries, lodging, meals, medical help, clothing and telephone calls. No questions are ever asked as to one's religious affiliation. The only criteria for help is the need of the transient. Through careful and conscientious conscien-tious use of Fund monies, no abuses have been suffered to date, nor are any anticipated in the future. The two categories of membership member-ship in the fund are "sustaining member" and "contributing mem ber." "Sustaining members are those who contribute $25 or more to the fund annually. "Contributing "Contri-buting members" are any who give gifts smaller than $25. Memberships Mem-berships are on an annual basis and only sustaining members have a vote at the annual meeting meet-ing held on the first day in May of each year. I |
