Comments from a few of our clients

“At this point in my life I am without a job and soon I will be living at the homeless shelter with my oldest son and an increase in benefits would GREATLY help me and my son.  We would be able to get back on our feet faster and that would mean that we would not require any benefits.  But as it is now we have to use these benefits just to keep surviving.  If the benefits that we are receiving could help us make the bottom line, then we would not need to use them for a long period of time. “


“Transportation needs. Without a vehicle, you cannot obtain a job, and without a job you cannot better your financial status. You used to have PRC for $1,000 to help with the purchase of a car.”

“I recently ended up homeless after leaving my abusive boyfriend.  After nearly a month’s struggle, I’ve finally gotten a friend to help me out with a place to stay, however he is very poor himself and his mom supports him, paying for his rent/bills.  Because of this he cannot afford to share food so I manage to eat by cleaning a house for a small fee but it’s not enough and I am getting unhealthy and dropped 2 pants sizes in the last month and struggle with being able to afford clothes to even fit anymore.  I am in desperate need of a hot healthy meal.”


Over the last year, Athens County Job and Family Services has invited our clients to tell us about some of the challenges and struggles they are facing.

As Ohio’s leaders deliberate over the state’s next two-year budget, we are posting a few of these comments each week so that you can hear from some of our neighbors about the obstacles they face every day. We hope our leaders will look at how the budget impacts families who are just trying to survive, instead of only looking at the budget as a series of numbers and dollar signs. We encourage you to take a few moments to read over the comments. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.