The Travelers Aid movement began in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, under the leadership of Mayor
Bryan Mullanphy
Bryan Mullanphy (born 1809 in Baltimore, Maryland; died June 15, 1851 in St. Louis, Missouri) was the tenth Mayor of St. Louis, serving from 1847 to 1848.
Bryan Mullanphy was the son of John Mullanphy, an Irish immigrant who became a wealthy ...
. Its purpose was to provide assistance to American pioneers and new immigrants who became stranded on their journeys. At his death in 1851, Mullanphy left a bequest of a half million dollars in his will to help "aid travelers going west."
History
By the 20th century, Travelers Aid Societies had sprung up in major cities across the country. The programs protected stranded travelers, especially women and children, from others who would use, abuse, or victimize them. The primary fear was that young women travelers, native born and immigrant alike, would be kidnapped and turned into "
white slaves
White slavery (also white slave trade or white slave trafficking) refers to the slavery of Europeans, whether by non-Europeans (such as West Asians and North Africans), or by other Europeans (for example naval galley slaves or the Vikings' thr ...
" (defined as white women forced into prostitution). Therefore, Travelers Aid Societies, most notably the Travelers Aid Society of New York, provided social work to vulnerable travelers at train stations and piers in order to prevent their falling victim to the white slave trade and related vices. Although many of the Travelers Aid programs were started by religious communities, services were often provided regardless of beliefs. It is the oldest non-religious social welfare organization in the United States.
The founder of the
Travelers Aid Society of New York The Travelers Aid Society of New York (TAS-NY) was founded by Grace Hoadley Dodge in New York City in 1907. Thirteen other prominent Christian and Jewish women, including the social worker Belle Moskowitz, made up the Society's first Board of Dir ...
(TAS-NY),
Grace Hoadley Dodge
Grace Hoadley Dodge (May 21, 1856December 27, 1914) was an American philanthropist who was the first woman appointed a member of the New York Board of Education.
Early life
Grace was born in Manhattan on May 21, 1856. She was the oldest of six ...
, had hoped to unite other Travelers Aid Societies to form a national association, but she died in 1914 before this could be accomplished. Due primarily to the efforts of TAS-NY General Secretary
Orin Clarkson Baker
Orin Clarkson Baker (1864, Ohio - 1957, Miami, Florida) was General Secretary of the Travelers Aid Society of New York (TAS-NY) from 1911-1917. The TAS-NY was formed by Grace Hoadley Dodge in 1907 to protect native-born and immigrant women from t ...
, national unification was finally accomplished in 1917. This national association provided a "chain of service", with one agency helping another when intercity transportation of a client was required. Travelers Aid was one of the original "
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
" (
USO
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
) that provided assistance to traveling service men and women, operating 175 troop transit lounges. Today, Travelers Aid responds to the specific needs of the community. Although each member agency shares the original service of assisting stranded travelers, many Travelers Aid agencies provide shelter for the homeless, transitional housing, job training, counseling, local transportation assistance, and other programs.
Similar organizations were founded in other countries; in Great Britain and many other countries it is spelled as "Travellers' Aid Society", and originally was closely associated with the
YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
.
See also
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Travelers Aid Family Services of Boston
The Travelers Aid Family Services (TAFS) was originally formed as a volunteer based social service organization seeking to provide resources for the massive numbers of immigrants arriving in the United States during the mid to late 1900s. Boston' ...
References
Further reading
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External links
Travelers Aid International
Travelers organizations
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