His Attitude of Helplessness Is Exasperating

Abstract

This chapter examines how the Family Welfare Association (FWA) of Minneapolis helped clients out of poverty. It explains that while the FWA social workers never really accepted that straightforward relief and practical assistance was the best predictor of longer-term success, several cases provided evidence of the need for supplemental assistance than organized “cures” and confirmed that the compounded problems of the poor were best addressed through long-term material support. To help their clients, the FWA workers sought outside advice and intervention in situations where they had little power to actually do anything about the problems they identified.