Tags
advocacy, education, empowerment, health, human service, politics, reform
Part 1
There are agencies in each county across our country employed by dehumanizing and demeaning public social workers. What does our legislature and congress plan to do about failing programs the Department of Social Services has served the communities with? Such government, unavoidable taxes daily at state earned bare minimums. How does a citizen survive and how can we hold the entities liable for their self-destruction?
Have you heard the expression bring more bees with honey well I do not like that it stings, do you want to feel pain when you’re at your most vulnerable point exploited called a failure even? That is a callous discriminate system that will prove to provide the same continual support or demise thereof. People often need basic needs forms of resources to build a routine self-sufficient foundation. In the least the unemployed needs jobs, single parents a support system or caregiver they can in trust with their children and quality healthcare they can depend on. A proposed partnership with a worker that can help get and keep them on their feet should be the advantage of that very system. Many times factors completely out of one’s control takes effect, layoffs, separations, mental illness, sickness or deaths these things cannot be avoided or I do not believe it would happen! Would you hurt yourself or someone else if in fact you had an outlet to be yourself, honest and unveiled vunerable yet save with a system that you can entrust? No, I believe in citizens enough to know better than that!
It brings me to the beginning of this movement for A time now to be aware, courteous and to create unions for the better of each of our communities not just the one we live in. The communities you pass on your way to work the ones you run your businesses from, make purchases in matter as well. If you do not educate yourself or leave it to the media you’re not getting the full story there is a complete flawed system we are paying into but are not benefiting from in many instances.
The economy will continue to emerge commercializig but if we continue to allow the perpetual legal extortion of over billing and expense verses roll in and take home it’s a compromise to civilian productivity, abolishing the once believed American dream for its domestic citizen for it has vanished…
Are you one affected, have you been or will you be? Maybe the true question could simply be, When is your turn? I will tell you get in line but the trail exceeds dimensions and demographics it has become a new norm for many proud Americans.
Let us look at the reality according to experience in a community in upstate NY our very own capital. The face of homeless looks like each of us it is no longer that scary desolate individual you walk far from on the curbside cuddling your purse in hand or wallet in pocket but your very own neighbor. Again society holds no accountability takes no responsibility or reasonably accommodates citizens devastated by life. Thus so inequipped almost impossible as a bridge to be for one’s future self-sufficiency.
Imagine a worker at Mc Donald’s 4 children no wife struggling or a homeless woman with two children maybe even a lesbian couple from out of town with no children.
Allow me to show you what predisposed stressors can cause for the hardest working citizen on a daily basis going to seek assistance in urban or city areas with the REAL cost of living VS how the state expects its citizens to live –
1.) A gentleman who has worked 2 jobs for over ten years has been laid off by 1 of his employers which paid the most. Now he has to depend solely on the income of the lesser paying job with hours conveniet for the 4 children conflicted with business hours to seek help. Under his current circumstances as food is low, no money for transportation, and a utility shut off the job he is left with risking his only income to make it to DSS and apply for new employment. Michael becomes overwhelmed but sits his pride aside to seek help for his family. After Michael fills the application out hands it to the frustrated worker his anxiety increases, he is told that more documentation would need be returned before they can provide any assistance. He knew 1 document or even 2 could be a problem as they were in an emergency need. He used his pantry days allowed up, which is why he decided to apply and the lights were certain to be shut off! Michael pleaded he revealed things about the childrens mother he never wanted to, the worker negated it to policy and regulation. The mother abandoned them although amicably, Michael never thought she would matter anymore the pain of sharing it all with the children. He fully aware she went back to Africa although an American and so were his children she possessed none of her ID, Confused he has worked so hard he should not be begging. There he was however at the mercy of the system his last resort his end, aware that could be impossible to provide any of her information. He thought she could no longer hurt the children but in fact there she was neglecting their needs again at the hands of the state and county indirectly, she was nowhere near!
2.) A single mother of two is homeless due to being shot at, burnt out of her home financially ruined and suffering chronic grief and depression at its best. She decides since law enforcement did not seem to care the smart option instead of fighting everyone and losing her sanity, sacrifice may be safer for children. Her mother tells her to share her recent attack by a guy she dated to the local Dept. Of Social Services they have people who can help her through her ordeal. Skeptical but helpless she applies but the abuser takes a whole unsuspected new face. A nurse, dancer and writer by trade but mentally vunerable a person to trust with her truth of circumstance is all she needed. The appropriate help she was refused housing, gave only the option to take her children to the home of a pedophile that the worker put on the phone per NYS policy. The disbelief they were calling people to ask if she could bring her family of 3 to their home. In the least humiliating but when the worker told her a man ripping across her neck and face or choking her by apparent pictures the state did not view what happened as domestic violence. Appalled when he told her she can go back home I am not going to help you. The worker Ronald M told her she was fine she could take a fight other people went through worst. She held the picture so tight it could have welter fumed with anger she lashed back I paid my taxes all she wanted was for them to help them through this transition she could not even for pride keep the children in an unsafe environment. No mental health referral or medical resources to assist her and the children in fragile state. This parent was forced to sleep in a car with her minor children in the winter on January 4th, 2013.
3.) A same sex lesbian couple relocates to upstate NY they worked, resided, paid taxes on earnings and every purchase they made since relocating. They had no children did fairly well but with their bills and income they could not make ends meet. One of the women Sheila was told by another employee to try DSS as she was an asthmatic who suffered allergies as well working became difficult. Linda filled the paper work out, made copies of Sheila’s pay stubs for past three months, identifying information, medical records and prescriptions that needed to be filled. They both went to DDS so Sheila can apply for emergency Medicaid and hopefully get her prescriptions filled. After meeting with the social worker they were shocked to hear they would both required to provide their information the incomes would be considered and a decision will be made accordingly. Linda was flabbergasted insisting the importance of Sheila’s need to have access to an inhaler and allergy medications. Completely disregarded by the Social worker who included there will also be no guarantees to health care until reviewed. Sheila also was confused to hear she was restricted from the program she broke no laws against, that too will need investigating. She had been able to pay in the past and manage her health but with the weather and current stressors it compromised her health on its own. Now she used all of her reserve medicine and has a few more puffs on her inhaler she is frugally using at the expense of her life. What is she to do now that she must leave the agency with a new burden of additional stress with no help? A few weeks past still no word Sheila really needed those prescriptions filled now walking through the park in the dark night from work she feels sharp pain in her chest. Down playing she attempts to walk faster, she clinches her chest, reaching in her pocket not realizing she did not have any more ventolin in her emergency inhaler digs in her pocket and calls Linda. Linda heard Sheila say I am having trouble breathing in park help me Linda call police and nothing else just silience. At the hospital later Sheila is pronounced dead, when all she needed was her rescue inhaler but she could not afford this time to pay out of pocket!
A life like many gone in an instance we, you or I can be responsible indirectly for the life of another. That I cannot live with on my conscience, can you? Across America in each community there has become a new human phenomenon that is we care for just self. These characters factional in aspects are affected by the simple cost of living which effect their survival let’s see not only how such people work side by side but even with their different family structure have the same income with different expenses – LOOK down at EXAMPLE
Income @ $8.50 for 40 hours a week. (We will include the hr. pay most employers take out for lunch/ or breaks.)
Earnings = $340.00
After taxes let’s say our Gov. is reasonable 15% deducted a week (Inc. any dependents or other deductions)
That leaves an adult $299.00 per week for the cost to live
Let’s look at a bare minimal apartment for a household with 3 bedrooms in Upstate N.Y. (The normal regular for area live out of town or in town slum invested landlord.)
Your monthly bills rent $750.00, basic unlimited phone (necessity for parents or citizens with life threatening illness) $50.00, basic non driver current bus transportation rates (Daily bus pass or monthly vs. car insurance?)$62.99 per person children priced are not reduced it is equal ( Imagine multiplying that by each child. That ends up to be $315 per month for the first family of 5 ex. I used above.) food has increased drastically let’s say at minimal groceries $200 (keep in mind larger families, diff. Eating habits or diets cost lots more) without cable we have National Grid which charges inflated amounts to poor underprivileged communities but that is another article. Let’s say your charged $300 for your 1000 square Ft clustered uninsulated apt. in winter. By the utility company. Add these costs up –
You get $ 1360 for the month; Your current Basic expenses will be at least $1425.00. Are you serious? Do you get it society plays a role in each man’s failure if it presents obstacles and no resource for recourse it must be reformed or held accountable until that very affect is realized! Think now of all the things these women need for that time of the month, the children’s needs, the man’s powerless to provide and yet no personal needs met a home with a wrath of needs and no tree! Please reach out , become involved and save life’s this year consider the next citizen at your holiday table, walking past, sitting next to and how lost they could be feeling as the system set forth continues to fail them. Be an advocate a voice to be reckoned with aspire for change through taking notice and making note to congress, legislature and your assembly men and woman remind them why they are employed!
A time of debate or recognition of a brighter tomorrow is now before elections it is in our conversions, studies and transgressions that united hope of prosperity!