ism , ▁Buddh ism ▁and ▁S ikh ism . ▁Char ities ▁provided ▁education , ▁health , ▁housing ▁and ▁even ▁pr isons . ▁Al m sh ouses ▁were ▁established ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁in ▁the ▁Early ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁residence ▁for ▁poor , ▁old ▁and ▁dist ress ed ▁people ; ▁King ▁Ath el stan ▁of ▁England ▁( re igned ▁ 9 2 4 - 9 3 9 ) ▁founded ▁the ▁first ▁recorded ▁al m sh ouse ▁in ▁York ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁En light en ment ▁char ity ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁En light en ment ▁era ▁char itable ▁and ▁phil anth rop ic ▁activity ▁among ▁volunt ary ▁associations ▁and ▁rich ▁benef act ors ▁became ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁cultural ▁practice . ▁Soci eties , ▁gentleman ' s ▁clubs , ▁and ▁mut ual ▁associations ▁began ▁to ▁fl our ish ▁in ▁England , ▁and ▁the ▁upper - classes ▁increasing ly ▁adopted ▁a ▁phil anth rop ic ▁attitude ▁toward ▁the ▁dis adv ant aged . ▁In ▁England ▁this ▁new ▁social ▁activ ism ▁was ▁ch anne led ▁into ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁char itable ▁organizations ; ▁these ▁pro l ifer ated ▁from ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁This ▁emer ging ▁upper - class ▁fashion ▁for ▁bene vol ence ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁char itable ▁organizations . ▁Captain ▁Thomas ▁Cor am , ▁app alled ▁by ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁abandoned ▁children ▁living ▁on ▁the ▁streets ▁of ▁ ▁London , ▁set ▁up ▁the