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As a young woman living in Chicago at the turn of the century, Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was inspired by Upton Sinclair's novel, The Jungle. She would walk through the poor neighborhoods of Chicago's South Side asking how she could help relieve the suffering that she saw. By the early 1930's during the Great Depression, Dorothy Day had become a noted editor and activist who promoted principles of charity by organizing the Catholic Worker movement. Because of her leadership, Catholic Worker houses were established throughout the United States which provided "hospitality" for those in need. In recoginition of her long career in confronting social injustices, Notre Dame University presented her its Laetare Medal, thanking her for "comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable."

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