When it comes to World War I, most people think of fighting and devastating bombings of cities. Unfortunately, few people remember about the fates of hundreds of thousands of children’s lives, who had to learn about all of the difficulties of war at such a young age. After losing their parents, orphaned children were left to fend for themselves and suffer the sorrow of loneliness. Learn more at dallas-yes.
During those dreadful war years, orphaned children became one of the driving forces that managed to awaken the remnants of humanity in society. They were able to lift the spirit of the military while also holding together the civilian population. Tragic children’s stories of the First World War did not pass a large city like Dallas. After all, hundreds of its citizens banded together to help orphaned children.
Providing assistance to orphaned children
In 1914, Americans made a concerted effort to assist children who had lost their parents as a result of the war. In Dallas, the notion of forming a volunteer community was initially announced in the Dallas Times in 1916. The public was outraged by the fact that the descendants of the fallen soldiers had to seek shelter in the open air. The biggest number of orphans was in Britain and France. All of their adult family members died in the war, so complete strangers had to help them survive.
The majority of existing charities around the world were overcrowded. Some were simply unable to supply their people with anything more than a slice of bread. There were more instances of children running away from shelters and spending the night with ordinary housewives who could provide them with attention and love. And, of course, a delicious dinner.
Dallas was interested in the work of charities and orphanages, so concerned citizens agreed to take responsibility for the lives of some orphaned youngsters. Several religious communities in the city likewise came to the same decision.
International Christian charitable organization Buckner International
Dr. Robert Cooke Buckner (also called Father Buckner or Father) founded an orphanage in Dallas back in 1879. During World War I, his shelter was overflowing with children who had lost their parents. Among them were kids whose parents died as a result of illness. However, most became orphans as a result of the war.
From a young age, Father Buckner felt sorry for the children who ran around the streets looking for food. This prompted him to establish an organization that would provide such kids with clothing and food. The organization’s slogan was “Shoes for Orphan Souls” since the volunteers’ main concern was to supply youngsters with shoes and socks. By 1999, they had provided over two million pairs of these items to 68 countries around the world. At one of his meetings with like-minded people, Robert Cooke Buckner raised $27 and established the first home for orphaned children in Dallas. Over time, the man realized that religion was a significant part of his life, and he also made his shelter Christian.
Buckner International children could continue to receive help from the organization even after they turned 18. The shelter program assisted orphans in their adult lives. It aided them in looking for jobs, renting housing and allocating funds for the first time. Since the teachers were actively involved in their education, the students at the Buckner shelter had little trouble finding employment because they had learned English and were used to working. Those who showed their ability to work hard did not face financial difficulties in the postwar period.
Thus, Father Buckner’s Dallas shelter unquestionably made the greatest contribution to orphaned children during and after World War I.