We are the oldest continuous charitable organization in the United States, having been founded on February 13, 1818. We owe our existence to a young Swedish woman, Marie de Verdier, who came to this country as the bride of Capt. Lothrop Turner. She arrived in Plymouth during the War of 1812 and noticed that there was a great hardship in this maritime community. With unflagging energy, she enlisted people of the town in benevolent work, thus eventually founding the Plymouth Fragment society. From that time to the present, PFS has been ready to give a helping hand to the needy of Plymouth. Marie de Verdier Turner died in March of 1838 and is buried beside her baby daughter. They are buried in Oak Grove Cemetery near the top of the hill on the left side of the first Summer St. entrance. Her husband died in Havana fourteen years earlier. We were initially funded through bequests starting in 1877 and, because of that, the organization was incorporated in March of that year with the purpose being the relief of the deserving people of said town. For some time, the dues for becoming a member of PFS were 50 cents a year or $10 for a lifetime membership. The current dues are $10 annually or $50 for a lifetime membership. The Board of Directors is made up of thirteen members who volunteer their time and energy. These thirteen members meet monthly to review applications for financial aid, make confidential home visits and attempt to quietly meet the needs of those Plymouth residents that fall outside the parameters of other local and state agencies. Members are invited to attend our annual meetings where the accomplishments of the previous year are noted and the annual financial report is given. Our income consists of endowments and dues which are invested to earn monthly interest. With continually increasing need in the area, we are trying to expand our portfolio to have a greater income with which to meet the requests of local residents. Unfortunately requests are often denied because of the disparity between number of requests and available funds.