I serve as an almoner, appointed to this voluntary position by the board of managers of the Havens Relief Fund Society. One day a landlord, responding to my letter concerning a tenant in his building, calls to ask, “What is an almoner?” My response is tentative. For me, the title, almoner, has a medieval ring to it, but I am not sure of its origin, so I do some research.
First, I consult my “Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary,” battered and dog-eared after years of use. I learn that the word “alms” can be traced back to the Greek word, “eleemon,” meaning merciful. In his “Dictionary of the English Language,” published in 1755, Samuel Johnson defines alms as “what is given gratuitously in relief of the poor,” and an “alms-giver” as “he that supports others by his charity.” His definition does not describe my situation, since the funds I dispense are not my own, but those of a generous and caring 19th century benefactor.
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