Charity organisation society (USA) (1877)

Charity organization society (USA) (1877)

The Charity Organisation Society (COS) was founded in Buffalo, New York, in 1877. The COS was a philanthropic organization that aimed to help the poor by providing them with financial assistance and social services. The COS was also a pioneer in the development of social casework, which is a method of helping people with social and emotional problems.

The COS was founded by a group of philanthropists who were concerned about the growing problem of poverty in the United States. The COS believed that the best way to help the poor was to provide them with financial assistance and social services, but they also believed that it was important to help the poor help themselves.

The COS developed a system of district visiting, in which volunteers would visit poor families in their homes to assess their needs and provide them with assistance. The COS also developed a system of friendly visiting, in which volunteers would visit poor families to provide them with companionship and emotional support.

The COS also played a role in the development of social casework. Social casework is a method of helping people with social and emotional problems. The COS believed that social casework could be used to help the poor overcome their problems and become self-sufficient.

The COS was a major force in the development of social work in the United States. The COS's methods and principles were adopted by other social work organizations, and the COS's training programs helped to train a generation of social workers.

The COS declined in the early 20th century, as more progressive social work organizations emerged. However, the COS's legacy can still be seen in the field of social work today.

Here are some of the key principles of the Charity Organisation Society:

• The importance of individual responsibility: The COS believed that people should be responsible for their own well-being and that they should not rely on charity to solve their problems.
• The importance of investigation: The COS believed that it was important to investigate the needs of each individual before providing them with assistance.
• The importance of coordination: The COS believed that it was important to coordinate the efforts of different charities to avoid duplication of services.
• The importance of self-help: The COS believed that people should be helped to help themselves and that they should not become dependent on charity.

The Charity Organisation Society had a significant impact on the development of social work in the United States. The COS's methods and principles were adopted by other social work organizations, and the COS's training programs helped to train a generation of social workers. The COS's legacy can still be seen in the field of social work today.