Please join the directors of Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Perry, Ross, Scioto and Vinton County Job & Family Services, Children Services and the 317 Board of Athens, Hocking & Vinton Counties, for a news conference: 10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, July 23, 2008, in the conference room of the Ross County Jobs One-Stop, 150 E. Second St., Chillicothe, Ohio for our “Focus on the Basics” news conference.
The gaping holes in the government safety net for Ohio families has many without sufficient income to meet their basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter. Our government’s failure to prioritize the needs of the poorest of the poor is causing increased hardships among those least suited to survive them. Simultaneously, other challenges facing many of these same families are growing worse as they must focus all of their energy on simply surviving. We must “focus on the basics” and place a greater priority on local, state and federal resources for the poorest of the poor.
Ohio Works First (OWF) Client Surveys
These quotes represent a sample of the responses by OWF clients to the following question:
What financial or medical hardships are you facing?
“Every month I live with the fear of being evicted. I’m a single mom with two children…and if that were to happen, I have nowhere to go. I currently get OWF $410, but my rent is $425 not including utilities, or diapers, wipes, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent or gas for my van. Because of all the rising costs, I’m digging a financial hole every month I can’t get out of. This causes a lot of depression, despair and worry. I’m so busy with the worry of money, I can’t even enjoy my children as much as I would like to. Please, please help us, this can’t go on. Somebody be our voice. Sincerely…”
“I feel kind of a let-down and basically worthless to my son. If I had a car and extra money to feed him our hopes would begin to open up doors.”
“…I am a single father taking care of my 4-year old daughter…I have realized that due to the high bottle gas prices (which is a necessity to have in my home for cooking, heating, and having hot water for showers) and now the rising prices for automotive gasoline, complications have developed in my ability to provide my daughter with new clothing and new shoes when she needs them. This situation is also hurting my daughter due to our home and our vehicle (our only form of transportation), needing desperate repairs done to them. I could sit here and write a novel to you regarding all of the financial, physical, and mental hardships that I face on a day to day basis.”
“…There are days we don’t get to eat a solid meal, just soup and bread if we are lucky…”
“I am a single parent trying to raise 2 children on $410 a month because my doc says I’m unable to work…by the time you pay your utilities you have nothing left so you are struggling every month just to survive…”
Jul 22, 2008
Jul 15, 2008
Ohio Works First Client Survey
The Athens County Department of Job & Family Services sent a one question survey to all current Ohio Works First households in February 2008. These quotes represent a sample of the responses to the following question:
"What financial or medical hardships are you facing?"
“Every month I live with the fear of being evicted. I’m a single mom with two children…and if that were to happen, I have nowhere to go. I currently get OWF $410, but my rent is $425 not including utilities, or diapers, wipes, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent or gas for my van. Because of all the rising costs, I’m digging a financial hole every month I can’t get out of. This causes a lot of depression, despair and worry. I’m so busy with the worry of money, I can’t even enjoy my children as much as I would like to. Please, please help us, this can’t go on. Somebody be our voice. Sincerely…”
“I feel kind of a let-down and basically worthless to my son. If I had a car and extra money to feed him our hopes would begin to open up doors.”
“I never have enough money to pay my bills. I always have to figure out how to pay for food, I get disconnection notices all of the time. I never have enough gas to transport my children to and from school. I don’t have enough money to buy my children new clothes or school supplies. I don’t have enough money to enroll my children in any kind of sports or activities. I’m always worried about how I’m going to pay for things. I don’t have enough money to transport my children or myself to doctor’s appointment. I just don’t have enough money. Gas is too high priced, so is food. How am I supposed to raise a family of 5 on one income? Please help, give us more money to live on.”
“…I am a single father taking care of my 4-year old daughter…I have realized that due to the high bottle gas prices (which is a necessity to have in my home for cooking, heating, and having hot water for showers) and now the rising prices for automotive gasoline, complications have developed in my ability to provide my daughter with new clothing and new shoes when she needs them. This situation is also hurting my daughter due to our home and our vehicle (our only form of transportation), needing desperate repairs done to them. I could sit here and write a novel to you regarding all of the financial, physical, and mental hardships that I face on a day to day basis.”
“For the past few months my family has been unable to fully pay our monthly rent for our home. My fiancé’s job hours go up and down by the week. We have had to put ourselves further in debt by borrowing money just to have a place to live...It doesn’t help being denied for disability, over and over again. We began to lose hope, living paycheck to paycheck has really been a struggle. It just feels at times, people like us are looked at like lazy, poor individuals, which is obviously not the case at all. We just wanna be able to support our children and ourselves without worrying, what is to happen ‘next month.’”
“…There are days we don’t get to eat a solid meal, just soup and bread if we are lucky because I have other children that are over age and stop by to eat with us…”
“The income I receive is four hundred and ten dollars a month. My rent is four hundred dollars a month. By the time I pay my rent, I have to borrow money from my mother and friend to pay the utilities and don’t know were the money is coming from to pay it back…”
“It is very hard to get all that you can to feed your children when you don’t have the money or food stamps to buy them with. With the cost of gas now a days you get to pick either buy a gallon of milk or get a gallon of gas. And, if you don’t have gas to go get your child milk then you are just out of luck…”
“Trying to find a house to rent that I can afford…and money for gas…I just started working but its still hard to make ends meets. I’m on HUD waiting list going on two years now and still nothing is happening so far.”
“…I always run short on money for toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, tampons, dish and laundry soap. And like everyone else who gets help from the state, I live disconnect notice from disconnect notice…I challenge any and all of our government officials to try to live off $336 per month. And let’s not forget we have to put gas in our cars at almost $4 a gallon.”
“…Without assistance we wouldn’t be able to make it so were very grateful the help is there, we just wish it could be more.”
“…Our food stamps don’t go a long way. Food prices have gone up, bills have all gone up and our income remains the same…I don’t like living month to month…Thank you for asking our opinions.”
“Where do I begin? I’m a single parent of three. I do get help…on top of that I work. I still struggle every pay check/every month…It would be really nice to be able to have some money in my pocket to be able to do something with my kids. As my kids are always telling me how they want this or want to do that and I have to tell them no. It’s sad when I can not even treat them to a 99 cent cheeseburger for good behavior.”
“…The food stamps we get are not enough to feed us for the month. We can’t buy anything healthy, it must be what’s on sale or what we can afford. Plus, I’ve got to throw in $100-$150 in money to the food cost every month. I also don’t have transportation. Instead of giving someone $20 for a 17 mile ride to the store I am giving them $40 for wear and tear and fuel.”
“…Raising 3 grandkids is a very hard task. I had to quite my job to keep kids. I could not pay for babysitter and could not get help…”
“…I don’t have enough money to buy my son clothes and shoes for school. I didn’t need help until I had a heart attack April 2007. I worked and I miss it a lot because I got paid every week and I was getting more a month. So if I can get help for gas and food, clothes, we would feel rich.”
“I am a single parent trying to raise 2 children on $410 a month because my doc says I’m unable to work…by the time you pay your utilities you have nothing left so you are struggling every month just to survive. I can see why people are depressed and turning to violence because they feel that they have no other choice…”
“I have financial hardships with trying to buy quality fresh nutritious food for my family of 4. Doctors, school, even family members tell me that my four year old eats too much pasta and other carbs (contributing to his weight gain) as opposed to fruits and vegetables! Duh! Fresh, quality fruits and veggies are too expensive to buy once a week! My food stamps do not cover my family’s needs!”
“…always running out of food before the month is half-way over.”
“…and I think every day there are people out there, that go through and have it rougher than I do.”
“…medical card sometimes doesn’t cover the medications we need.”
“…Financially, we can’t afford anything but pay rent and utility bills. We can’t afford gas (prices are too high) if children need something special for school or for a sporting activity, it’s a struggle to get it, if they get it. It’s a struggle to keep up with buying personal hygiene items in a month’s time…Medically, we can’t afford to pay for medication that our insurance will not cover even if we need it, pre-authorizations are denied! So we do without a medicine because we don’t have the money to pay for it!”
Summary Observations:
Most respondents noted the rising costs of food and gasoline are adding to their increased debt while they try to continue to make it to work or doctors appointments on limited income. Others talked about the problems with the Medicaid card not covering all medications or that pre-authorization created a hardship. Others talked about the mental anguish of being poor and the stress it causes on their daily lives.
"What financial or medical hardships are you facing?"
“Every month I live with the fear of being evicted. I’m a single mom with two children…and if that were to happen, I have nowhere to go. I currently get OWF $410, but my rent is $425 not including utilities, or diapers, wipes, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent or gas for my van. Because of all the rising costs, I’m digging a financial hole every month I can’t get out of. This causes a lot of depression, despair and worry. I’m so busy with the worry of money, I can’t even enjoy my children as much as I would like to. Please, please help us, this can’t go on. Somebody be our voice. Sincerely…”
“I feel kind of a let-down and basically worthless to my son. If I had a car and extra money to feed him our hopes would begin to open up doors.”
“I never have enough money to pay my bills. I always have to figure out how to pay for food, I get disconnection notices all of the time. I never have enough gas to transport my children to and from school. I don’t have enough money to buy my children new clothes or school supplies. I don’t have enough money to enroll my children in any kind of sports or activities. I’m always worried about how I’m going to pay for things. I don’t have enough money to transport my children or myself to doctor’s appointment. I just don’t have enough money. Gas is too high priced, so is food. How am I supposed to raise a family of 5 on one income? Please help, give us more money to live on.”
“…I am a single father taking care of my 4-year old daughter…I have realized that due to the high bottle gas prices (which is a necessity to have in my home for cooking, heating, and having hot water for showers) and now the rising prices for automotive gasoline, complications have developed in my ability to provide my daughter with new clothing and new shoes when she needs them. This situation is also hurting my daughter due to our home and our vehicle (our only form of transportation), needing desperate repairs done to them. I could sit here and write a novel to you regarding all of the financial, physical, and mental hardships that I face on a day to day basis.”
“For the past few months my family has been unable to fully pay our monthly rent for our home. My fiancé’s job hours go up and down by the week. We have had to put ourselves further in debt by borrowing money just to have a place to live...It doesn’t help being denied for disability, over and over again. We began to lose hope, living paycheck to paycheck has really been a struggle. It just feels at times, people like us are looked at like lazy, poor individuals, which is obviously not the case at all. We just wanna be able to support our children and ourselves without worrying, what is to happen ‘next month.’”
“…There are days we don’t get to eat a solid meal, just soup and bread if we are lucky because I have other children that are over age and stop by to eat with us…”
“The income I receive is four hundred and ten dollars a month. My rent is four hundred dollars a month. By the time I pay my rent, I have to borrow money from my mother and friend to pay the utilities and don’t know were the money is coming from to pay it back…”
“It is very hard to get all that you can to feed your children when you don’t have the money or food stamps to buy them with. With the cost of gas now a days you get to pick either buy a gallon of milk or get a gallon of gas. And, if you don’t have gas to go get your child milk then you are just out of luck…”
“Trying to find a house to rent that I can afford…and money for gas…I just started working but its still hard to make ends meets. I’m on HUD waiting list going on two years now and still nothing is happening so far.”
“…I always run short on money for toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, tampons, dish and laundry soap. And like everyone else who gets help from the state, I live disconnect notice from disconnect notice…I challenge any and all of our government officials to try to live off $336 per month. And let’s not forget we have to put gas in our cars at almost $4 a gallon.”
“…Without assistance we wouldn’t be able to make it so were very grateful the help is there, we just wish it could be more.”
“…Our food stamps don’t go a long way. Food prices have gone up, bills have all gone up and our income remains the same…I don’t like living month to month…Thank you for asking our opinions.”
“Where do I begin? I’m a single parent of three. I do get help…on top of that I work. I still struggle every pay check/every month…It would be really nice to be able to have some money in my pocket to be able to do something with my kids. As my kids are always telling me how they want this or want to do that and I have to tell them no. It’s sad when I can not even treat them to a 99 cent cheeseburger for good behavior.”
“…The food stamps we get are not enough to feed us for the month. We can’t buy anything healthy, it must be what’s on sale or what we can afford. Plus, I’ve got to throw in $100-$150 in money to the food cost every month. I also don’t have transportation. Instead of giving someone $20 for a 17 mile ride to the store I am giving them $40 for wear and tear and fuel.”
“…Raising 3 grandkids is a very hard task. I had to quite my job to keep kids. I could not pay for babysitter and could not get help…”
“…I don’t have enough money to buy my son clothes and shoes for school. I didn’t need help until I had a heart attack April 2007. I worked and I miss it a lot because I got paid every week and I was getting more a month. So if I can get help for gas and food, clothes, we would feel rich.”
“I am a single parent trying to raise 2 children on $410 a month because my doc says I’m unable to work…by the time you pay your utilities you have nothing left so you are struggling every month just to survive. I can see why people are depressed and turning to violence because they feel that they have no other choice…”
“I have financial hardships with trying to buy quality fresh nutritious food for my family of 4. Doctors, school, even family members tell me that my four year old eats too much pasta and other carbs (contributing to his weight gain) as opposed to fruits and vegetables! Duh! Fresh, quality fruits and veggies are too expensive to buy once a week! My food stamps do not cover my family’s needs!”
“…always running out of food before the month is half-way over.”
“…and I think every day there are people out there, that go through and have it rougher than I do.”
“…medical card sometimes doesn’t cover the medications we need.”
“…Financially, we can’t afford anything but pay rent and utility bills. We can’t afford gas (prices are too high) if children need something special for school or for a sporting activity, it’s a struggle to get it, if they get it. It’s a struggle to keep up with buying personal hygiene items in a month’s time…Medically, we can’t afford to pay for medication that our insurance will not cover even if we need it, pre-authorizations are denied! So we do without a medicine because we don’t have the money to pay for it!”
Summary Observations:
Most respondents noted the rising costs of food and gasoline are adding to their increased debt while they try to continue to make it to work or doctors appointments on limited income. Others talked about the problems with the Medicaid card not covering all medications or that pre-authorization created a hardship. Others talked about the mental anguish of being poor and the stress it causes on their daily lives.
Jul 8, 2008
Highlighting the impact of the current economy
This summer, The Athens NEWS plans to look at how the state’s poor economy and rising gas prices are impacting local government agencies and non-profits. Here are the first couple stories in a weekly series:
Gas prices, funding cuts batter Lottridge food bank, June 30, 2008
Seniors group cuts staff in response to budget cuts, gas prices, July 7, 2008
Disaster in the making: Regional food bank falls behind need, July 7, 2008
These stories come as no surprise to those of us working in human services, but thanks to the Athens News for sharing the stories of the impact on local services and the people they serve.
If you'd like to share a story, please comment!
Gas prices, funding cuts batter Lottridge food bank, June 30, 2008
Seniors group cuts staff in response to budget cuts, gas prices, July 7, 2008
Disaster in the making: Regional food bank falls behind need, July 7, 2008
These stories come as no surprise to those of us working in human services, but thanks to the Athens News for sharing the stories of the impact on local services and the people they serve.
If you'd like to share a story, please comment!
May 21, 2008
The Future’s Not So Bright
With continued cuts in government spending for Medicaid, Social Security etc., the future is not looking so bright for the elderly. It has already become more and more difficult for this population to access any kind of supportive services. Furthermore, it has become increasingly difficult for government-mandated agencies to fulfill their duty to provide, not only the safest but, the least restrictive environment for their elderly clients.
In Ohio, when an individual has reached the point that they are unable to take care of themselves, it is the duty of the Adult Protective Services worker to intervene and apply for guardianship for those who have no family and for those cases where there has been no estate-appointed fiduciary.
Sound like a simple plan? Maybe, except for the fact that there are no volunteers to be guardians for these individuals and no funding to pay someone to take on this difficult task. Even when you are able to find a few good-hearted souls willing to take responsibility for the life of someone they have never met; then you need to have the gall to ask them if they are willing to pay the $250.00 application fee. Even family members who are willing to apply for guardianship for a loved one, are often deterred by the expense that can be involved in the process.
Although many of us are thankful for the increase in life expectancy possible for people of our century, there is also the possibility of living to an age where we may experience some degree of disability. Not just a physical or mental disability, but some disabling event that may cause us to lose the very things that we struggle our whole lives to maintain.
It is heartbreaking to hear the stories about the elderly woman heating her home with her oven after her furnace breaks because she can’t afford to have it fixed; or the elderly gentleman forced to leave his home because he can’t afford to fix his leaking roof. Where is our compassion and sense of duty? These are our parents, our grandparents, but most of all, human beings in need of a little help.
Tara Wallace
Health Services Director
Athens County Job & Family Services
In Ohio, when an individual has reached the point that they are unable to take care of themselves, it is the duty of the Adult Protective Services worker to intervene and apply for guardianship for those who have no family and for those cases where there has been no estate-appointed fiduciary.
Sound like a simple plan? Maybe, except for the fact that there are no volunteers to be guardians for these individuals and no funding to pay someone to take on this difficult task. Even when you are able to find a few good-hearted souls willing to take responsibility for the life of someone they have never met; then you need to have the gall to ask them if they are willing to pay the $250.00 application fee. Even family members who are willing to apply for guardianship for a loved one, are often deterred by the expense that can be involved in the process.
Although many of us are thankful for the increase in life expectancy possible for people of our century, there is also the possibility of living to an age where we may experience some degree of disability. Not just a physical or mental disability, but some disabling event that may cause us to lose the very things that we struggle our whole lives to maintain.
It is heartbreaking to hear the stories about the elderly woman heating her home with her oven after her furnace breaks because she can’t afford to have it fixed; or the elderly gentleman forced to leave his home because he can’t afford to fix his leaking roof. Where is our compassion and sense of duty? These are our parents, our grandparents, but most of all, human beings in need of a little help.
Tara Wallace
Health Services Director
Athens County Job & Family Services
May 1, 2008
Ravaged, And Now Rendered Invisible
Photo Essay on Chauncey, Ohio by Matt Eich
Featured in Newsweek:
"After extracting industries left in the '70's, communities like Chauncey never recovered. Work is hard to come by here. Many in this small, Appalachian town in Southeastern Ohio take jobs that pay minimum wage - or drive 75 to 150 miles to find something better. Still, a quarter of the 1,200 residents live below the poverty line. Matt Eich, a student at Ohio University, is documenting life in Chauncey and neighboring towns. Residents, he writes, can't escape the devastating cycle of poverty. And as it churns, he feels an "imperative to document." "
A selection of his work: http://www.newsweek.com/id/132802
Permission to post given by Matt Eich.
Featured in Newsweek:
"After extracting industries left in the '70's, communities like Chauncey never recovered. Work is hard to come by here. Many in this small, Appalachian town in Southeastern Ohio take jobs that pay minimum wage - or drive 75 to 150 miles to find something better. Still, a quarter of the 1,200 residents live below the poverty line. Matt Eich, a student at Ohio University, is documenting life in Chauncey and neighboring towns. Residents, he writes, can't escape the devastating cycle of poverty. And as it churns, he feels an "imperative to document." "
A selection of his work: http://www.newsweek.com/id/132802
Permission to post given by Matt Eich.
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