United in their desire to serve the best interests of blind people, Matilda Ziegler and Walter Holmes recognized few limits to the expression of that desire. They sought other channels of service.

With Mrs. Ziegler footing the bill, Broadway acting companies were induced to give special matinee performances for blind audiences. Every Christmas for a number of years the small staff of the Ziegler Magazine took time out from their regular duties to fill 500 food baskets with chickens, sweet potatoes, onions, fruit, candy, cakes, jellies and raisins for delivery to institutions and homes for the blind.

As early as 1908, a watch manufacturer was persuaded to produce a line of braille watches, which were sold to readers at cost. Later, radios and typewriters were similarly made available. Holmes even permitted installment payments, as little as a dollar a month, so that people could acquire these needed objects. He even offered to pay the cost of installing an antenna for a reader in a remote area if her radio could not pick up programs.

The expense of record-keeping for all of these non-publishing activities was absorbed with the other overhead. With the help of occasional gifts from well-wishers, many radios were given free of charge to people who could not afford even minimal payment. There was never an organized attempt at fund-raising, but Walter Holmes was so well-known and beloved a personality that he inspired spontaneous gifts.

As time went on, many of these sidelines were taken over by other organizations. Nevertheless, until the mid-1970's, readers of the Ziegler could still order Remington portable typewriters and Baby Ben alarm clocks at prices not obtainable elsewhere.

Apart from their shared experiences of familial blindness, and their unbounded goodwill toward all who could not see, Electa Matilda Ziegler and Walter George Holmes had little in common.