1999 – 2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Self Sufficiency
Subcommittee
Review Team 1
Transcript Review:
Employed Human Service Clients
In attendance: Sister Victoria Pohl, Liz Walker, Connie Ralph, Sandra Nelson, Dan Hayden
Summary of Stories:
Della:
Black female, living in a homeless shelter for 1-½ years with son under age 7. An abusive background led to current homelessness. Currently working and has savings plan which appears to be a requirement of the shelter. She is also attending school. Della considers the availability of affordable health insurance to be a barrier. She can’t afford insurance through her employer and has apparently exhausted her welfare benefits. Her child may be on state health insurance program for children. She earns too much money to qualify for food stamps. Transportation is another challenge. She expects to take awhile to finish school and figures she won’t reach self-sufficiency for 3-4 years. She defines self-sufficiency as “Independence, being able to provide for yourself and your family”. She did not identify any supports but is living in long-term homeless shelter. Involved in budgeting, cooking and other classes but claims she already knew all that.
Whitney:
Black female, living in homeless shelter with 3 daughters. Spent most of her life in Evansville. Her life was fine until she divorced, but even then she managed to hold her family together for 3 years. One of her daughters may require more attention than Whitney was able to give while working and going to school. On an impulse she quit her job. She was not eligible for unemployment and this decision started her on a downward spiral. She noted she had to lie in order to get into domestic violence shelter (needed place to live). Whitney states transportation is a problem. She notes, “I have to be at work at 9:00. Why do I have to catch the bus at 7:30?” She was also critical about the availability of affordable family housing in Evansville. Whitney stated, “I was always one paycheck away [from homelessness] and didn’t realize it”. Ultimately she wants to save enough money to leave Evansville. Whitney relied on her mother and sister for help with her girls when she was still employed (prior to becoming homeless). She doesn’t mention family supports relative to her living situations.
Julia:
Julia is a white college student (probably in her early 20’s) with a 1 year old son. She works part-time at grocery store. Her goals are to graduate, travel, get a good education for her son, and buy a home someday. She gets no financial or other support from the son’s father, but seems to get other type of support from her boyfriend and her family. She is not an agency “client” but has received financial support such as food stamps and college financial aid. Although she has clearly stated “life” goals, she did not mention any specific career or job goals.
Toni:
Black female in mid-40s with two older children. Divorced. She has worked in abuse shelter and does some temporary work. Father provides financial support. She and her children have asthma. She had to choose between a job and taking care of her disabled child. She chose not to work. She wants to either work full time or get more education, but is concerned about competing for jobs with younger workers. She also has a heart condition disability which she believes is an employment liability -- and hides it from possible employers. She is very critical of agencies which ask too many questions and the inadequacy of the public transportation system.
Sharon:
A 50-year-old white female who lives with her teen daughter and her new child (grandchild). The daughter is an alcoholic with suicidal tendencies, but Sharon still believes her daughter is a good mother. Sharon has a college degree in biology but has been unable to use it for employment: she currently is “scrubbing floors” with cleaning company. Has history of work problems. Most recently, she was forced to take care of sick child and was fired by employer. She has some type of unspecified disability. There does seem to be an alcohol problem within her family (her daughter, mother, and ex-husband), although she does not label herself as such. Feels her work history and disability make it difficult to find a job. Keeps her disability hidden from potential employers. Sharon wants to leave Evansville/Indiana…does not feel it’s a single-parent friendly place. She believes public transportation is poor and services are hard to find out about.
Tom:
Middle-age white male, married with 4 children. Tom has strong “family values” regarding his responsibility to care for his wife and children – although he came from a family where the father was an alcoholic and child/spouse abuser. Events occurred in his life presenting challenges which sent him to local agencies for assistance. His wife became disabled (and had a child), and he had to quit his job to care for her/their needs. Their house also burned down and was assisted by a number of agencies and the police. The community helped him get back on his feet. Tom is very grateful and is committed to giving back to the community. They received a substantial disability payment and used it to pay off their home mortgage and provides them with some financial security. They are both working now. Tom is a strong advocate for better information about the Family Leave Act.
Common Issues:
1999 – 2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Self Sufficiency Subcommittee
Transcript Review: Employed Not Clients
In attendance: Sr. Victoria Pohl, Liz Walker, Tami Grismore, Dan Hayden
Summary of Stories:
Charlie:
White male, over age 50, divorced. He’s worked in a variety of jobs: factory, government, driving, etc. Currently employed. Doesn’t want to be dependent on someone else taking care of him (definition of self sufficiency). Couple of divorces, 3 major surgeries but had insurance and some savings. Likes to go to racetrack. Started working in high school at nights, paid his parents rent and help with laundry, made him self sufficient. His parents both worked, even though his “mom didn’t need to” – cites as reason they divorced.
Ricky:
White male, age 25-30, married with no children, from area, bought a house, some college. He went straight to work at local company about six years ago. Worked in hotels cleaning and maintenance as a teenager. He’s now trying to handle his finances – limits debt to home payment and one credit card. Believes some people don’t look at assistance as a safety net but as a “safe haven” where they can kick back and “live off the fat of the government”. Was raised to work – never missed a day of work.
Madonna:
White female, married, with 2 children, 3 stepchildren, and 4 grandkids. Employed at local company. Raised 2 children as single mom. Struggled financially. Father did not pay child support. Received welfare for a while. But eventually went to work for minimum wage and worked evenings for the 40 cent bonus. Her mother helped watch the kids while she was at work. Also received help from a church during her struggles. Recently re-married, husband a plumber. Her pay used to pay bills, his income too irregular. Worked to make all her ends meet -- whatever it took (recently had a paper route). Thinks kids today don’t have the same motivation or push to succeed. Upset about teen parents. Son plays in youth league. Sister has cancer with no insurance -- but doctor and hospital are donating treatment services. Gets depressed sometimes, just wants to be able to take care of household and be comfortable – upset when nothing left after paying utility bills. They don’t use credit but she understands the pressures to buy – like at Christmas and the desire to buy gifts for children. Compares herself to others and has some resentment she (or others like her) can’t afford to buy Christmas gifts like others. On the other hand, very independent and is okay with going out in the yard for a “Charlie Brown Christmas tree”.
Marie:
Worked at same company for 11 years, has 3 kids. Cites challenges of working and finding affordable childcare, and providing for teenager who is fashion conscious. She received assistance from some agency. Growing up she had to baby-sit her own siblings and couldn’t earn money – she is not going to do that to her own kids. Wanted her mom to go on welfare so she could watch the kids and not rely on her. Mother was too proud at first, but eventually agreed. She wants to be able to provide for her kids and feels optimistic as long as health is okay.
Patti:
Worked in for many years in government position outside of Evansville, retired and returned to the area 3 years ago. Now works part-time as consultant. Now wishes she would have saved more for retirement, although she and her husband seem “comfortable” on federal pensions. She used childcare when children growing up, felt guilty about it but saw few options. There were challenges as dual-income household, can appreciate the challenges for single-parent households. She was raised by a single parent mother, knew about financial limitations. Relates how her daughter went for help and was guided into Pell grants for college education, her husband now doing the same. Thinks this was a great service. However, feels that welfare/assistance should only be a last resort, but believes those not wanting to work abuse it. Thinks there is more to life than money --- have to be happy and do other things you care about.
Stephanie:
White female, married with one son. Started working when she was 16. Lived in area all her life. Worked for local company for 10 years and now has cleaning business. There was a tough period and she received unemployment but “didn’t think it was right”. Stephanie grew up in a relatively comfortable family environment, but they still struggled and had to sometimes shop at Goodwill or Kmart. Friends sometimes teased her as the “little poor girl”. But she feels like her childhood was positive and taught her useful values to help with current struggles, even though she sometimes gets depressed about financial woes. She does have a strong work ethic and is resentful of people she works with who get more than she. Her son has ADHD and encountered a problem with biddy baseball as the coach yelled at him for not paying attention. Thinks sports could be more sensitive to children with learning disability.
Julie:
White female, on her second marriage. Lived in area most of her life. Recently graduated from college with degree in deaf education, works occasionally in schools with disabled. Had a rough time with first marriage, both worked low wages and struggled. Father had a lot of self-pride but finally accepted food stamps to help family “but it about killed him”. She would prefer loans to handouts. She worked in pharmacy and saw abuse of health benefits as Medicaid recipients could get any medications they needed for free but the retired elderly had to pay $100 for their prescriptions. She is concerned about the cost and availability of child care (even though she currently has no children), and defines social security as having enough money to “be comfortable”.
Cher:
White female, 2 children. Father not supportive. Works for a government agency (22 years). At one point was on welfare but worked 2 jobs to get off. Feels guilty about missing out on her children’s life – missing out on the “little things” like she had as a child (coming home on Valentine’s Day with little bologna and cheese sandwiches cut in a heart shape). Her welfare caseworker helped her become independent. She was very upset about other welfare applicants who seemed to be comfortable and not interested in getting off assistance. Some friends made fun of her daughter because she wore K mart jeans. Has a couple of sisters who are not financially competent, one is on welfare – although recently told her benefits were being cut-off. She experienced some problem with getting a Pell grant for her daughter. She believes that many youth are lacking good work ethic, and is concerned about the inter-generational aspect of welfare dependency. She would like additional supports for her ailing Mother (financial primarily), and is concerned about the government raising the retirement age for social security.
Cass:
White female. One grown daughter, 20-year government employee. Put her daughter through college. Struggled as she raised her daughter. Working, used a baby-sitter, had to rely on family help when financial emergencies arose. Looks forward to paying off home and having a little extra money to save for retirement. Believes teens today not committed to work. She was 14 and worked 2 jobs to put daughter through college, food on table – “you do what you have to do”. She made too much money for her daughter to get Pell grants, and is now burdened with loan re-payments. Believes money does not bring happiness. She was concerned about the cost of medications when only receiving social security.
Joe:
Grew up in Evansville, worked fast food at 16, went into military, got out and working with same company for last 10 years. After one of his divorces, became cross-country driver, “living out of a suitcase”. Has been working at current job getting small increases every year, now up to $10 per hour. He likes to invest some of his extra income in stock market – “…its ups are a lot better than its downs”. Very conservative with money, no credit cards, lives within budget. Believes that having everything handed to them spoils too many kids. Joe believes that his involvement in competitive sports (wrestling) in high school helped develop his work ethic and motivation to improve his life. His parents lived paycheck to paycheck and he wanted to do better than that (1345]. Believes more poor people should learn how to invest money in stock market to improve their financial health. He wants to be wealthy. Has children but reluctant to talk about it (prefers talking about his money). Believes money cant buy happiness but freedom. He wants to start his own business. Working can be hard and tough, but you need “true grit” to succeed.
Common Issues:
1999 – 2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Self Sufficiency
Subcommittee
Transcript Review:
Employed Human Service Clients
In attendance: Mary Durkin, Pat Colter, Leanne Hudson, Peggy Harrel, Judith Early, Steve Culley, Terri Lautner Uebelhor, Wayne Bochert, Dan Hayden, Therese Baronowsky
Summary of Stories:
Elizabeth:
Single mother with 3 children, 1 grandchild on the way. Lives in mobile home with daughter, son and his wife, and one grandchild. Daughter-in-law is expecting another child. Her father died about 7 years ago and Elizabeth was divorced shortly thereafter. The ex-husband was an alcoholic gambler. She and her husband were receiving Food Stamps for the 15 years they were married. But she says “she was not raised to be on welfare” and now gets most of her support from her ex-husband (who pays child support), current boyfriend, and her working children help with family bills. Her Mother helped financially but not since she retired. She also works full time and sells cosmetics on side. Elizabeth seems financially content. She and her ex-husband were given a house to live in by his mother, and she has relatives who did mechanic work. She seems resourceful. She has used assistance in the past (Medicaid and Food Stamps), but most of her support comes from her family and personal relationships. She does seem to have concerns about budgeting and putting something aside for emergencies. She feels content as she recently upgraded to “classic cable”.
Wayne:
Middle-aged, self-employed auto mechanic. He grew up with an alcoholic stepfather, who spent most of his money drinking and gambling. Wayne is just trying to “make ends meet”. His truck is inoperable and fixing it seems to be key to his economic well being (although he doesn’t seem to be in a rush to fix it). Wayne is very straightforward and likes to think of himself as self-reliant. His relationship with his mother seems to be significant. His mother was his source of strength and financial and emotional stability. When she died, things changed in his life. His mother was resistant to asking for assistance for herself. But she did not look down on him when he asked for aid to help with his twin sons. However, after her death, he no longer had her for financial aid and was forced to make it on his own. Finally had to “put his pride on the shelf” and sought aid from unnamed agencies (included Food Stamps). Feels strongly that assistance should only be used for temporary situations. Talked about his earlier reluctance to ask anyone for help. But overcame that and now asks for personal help (his brother helps him work on his truck) and assistance from agencies and churches when the need arises.
Cammie:
A young single-mother just recently out on her own. She’s had trouble with the police, was a runaway, and had a drug addiction – but went through rehab and “graduated” from counseling. She has a young baby and is working at a fast food restaurant. Cammie is struggling financially. She is concerned about buying a Christmas present for her 7 month old baby, and simply paying the rent. She is largely unaware of community programs but asked questions indicating interest. She receives housing assistance and WIC benefits. Her boyfriend helps, as does a girlfriend. Her major problem and dilemma is her mother. She is afraid to seek other help because her mother would disapprove. Mother says “she’s not a victim” and scorns welfare assistance, noting “You were not raised that way”. Cammie seems bound by her mother’s definitions of acceptable behavior but is also upset by the lack of support her mother gives her. Her mother will buy things for her but not give her money, and she is always meddling in her life… “in my business”. Cammie also has problems with asking for aid as it will “make me feel like I can’t make it on my own”. Cammie is a lightning rod in the focus group for the other participants who have used aid and have already reconciled this aid/pride issue. Many tried to convince her of the error in her (and her mother’s) thinking, and give her suggestions about getting aid. They also challenged her assumptions and beliefs. At the end, a couple of the participants were giving Cammie their phone numbers and offering on-going support.
Roseanne:
Her Mother died when she was young. Currently works 3 jobs, has a teen daughter and is pregnant. She does not mention the father of either child. She has normal coping problems with teen daughter, and is struggling just to make ends meet – including juggling finances just to pay utility bills. She has used Medicaid and food stamps and possibly other aid when she was raising her daughter. She went off of assistance for long period but recently began receiving Medicaid to assist with her prenatal needs. She did live in public housing but set a goal of leaving in 5 years and left in 3. Roseanne believes there is a role for assistance in helping people with temporary setbacks but does not believe it should be used to replace work. She spent much of the discussion attempting to convince Cammie that asking for help was not dishonorable. Asking for help just meant you were trying to care for your child. It was nothing to be ashamed of. Roseanne was critical of welfare workers who seemed to look down on her as she asked for aid.
Elaine:
She is married with 2 young children, works part-time at fast food restaurant. Her desire is to be a stay-at-home mom. Her husband is a recently ordained minister; religion and church seem to play a significant part in their lives. Their income fluctuates but she is hopeful about her husbands future. They received welfare (Food Stamps and Medicaid) once, but was “embarrassed” and though the people there looked down on her. She “hated it”, and did not go back. She currently gets support from her husband, mother and their church. She volunteers at her church. She also worries about what her mother thinks, even though she was understanding when they received aid…knew she was just trying to help her kids. However, Elaine believes that women shouldn’t have children and then just go on welfare... “shouldn’t bring them into the world poverty stricken”. Of all the participants, Elaine appeared the most stable and optimistic.
Common Issues:
1999 – 2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Self Sufficiency
Subcommittee
Transcript Review:
Employed Not Clients
In attendance: Mary Durkin, Bill Bennett, Pat Colter, Peggy Harrel, Steve Culley, Terri Lautner Uebelhor, Wayne Bochert, Dan Hayden
Summary of Stories:
Laura:
Single white female, around age 30, native of area, divorced with no children. Laura was raised in a poverty family and her divorced mother taught her be self-sufficient and independent. She doesn’t like to ask for help. Currently working as a government employee with low pay but good health and retirement benefits. She feels it’s unfair to hire new employees close to her current wage. She has asked for help in the past but “fell through the cracks”-- she is either too old, makes too much money or has no dependents. She tried to get help with her utility bills but was told she “made 2 dollars too much”. The agency staff were “uncaring and rude”. Even though her pay is low, she knows how to budget her money and live within her means. However, she feels "only 2 paychecks away from being homeless". There is a desire to get further education (business degree) but she is concerned about getting a loan and any future increases in income will be lost in paying off her school loans. She feels stuck and fatalistic about her current condition. She did work at a daycare before the state job and saw a lot of women abusing the agency providing benefits to low-income women. She also believed these same women did not care for their children (children were dirty and “smelly”) and were using the daycare inappropriately. She got tired of the abuse and quit – it especially upset her knowing there were many hard working people who needed help (herself?) but were considered ineligible.
Julie:
White, age 30-40, divorced female, a native of area with adolescent son. She was married and divorced twice, calling them “nightmares”. Her son seems to be doing well in school and she is active in his education and schoolwork. She wants to be self-sufficient and not depend on the husband’s support checks. She’s had many jobs but has also some mental health problems for which she has been twice hospitalized. She is a recovering drug addict and has battled depression – but she feels “okay now, but not totally normal”. The last job she had was at a doctor’s office and they did not care about her problems and fired her. She felt that was ironic. She has now started her own business and works 14-15 hours a day to make it succeed. Caring for her child seems to be her driving force. She talks about her own father who died recently and left all his assets to his wife and nothing for her and his grandchild. This hurt her very much. She swears to not abandon her child like her father did. After her divorce, she experienced hard times and received aid from a church, the trustee’s office and was on welfare for a short period. She hated it. She felt like the aid workers looked down upon her for asking. She didn’t want to be there (she cried while standing in line) but felt compelled to care for her son. Julie defines self-sufficiency as being able to take care of herself and son, and not relying on her ex-husband’s support check. Her goal is to buy a home and set aside some money for retirement. She believes that when it comes to public aid, the elderly should get more attention.
John:
White male, 40-50 years old, with 4 children (16-25 years old). John worked at the same company for 22 years until he was laid off. He doesn’t mind not being “self sufficient” – prefers the notion of “partnerships” to take care of needs. There evidently was some “labor dispute” with the company he worked for – involving pay and benefits. He was making $17 per hour and working 7 days a week. To maintain their family they lived off their savings and his tax returns. They went to a “meeting hall” in Henderson and received Thanksgiving assistance and other food commodities. He went to ask for some public aid but felt like he was “robbing somebody”. He’s experienced difficulty finding comparable work and now has to work longer hours for less pay. His family has also pared back on their living expenses – getting rid of car phones, not eating out as much, etc. His son wanted to keep the internet service but was told he would have to work and pay for it himself.
Nancy:
White divorced female, native of area, one son and granddaughter who live outside of area. She went to an agency looking for financial aid but was treated badly. She worked for a company that went bankrupt and lost her job -- right after the divorce. She went on welfare for 6 months, and received some help from her family. Had a negative experience with welfare. She lives in the house they/she bought 17 years ago. She also complains about asking for aid and the agency requiring that she sell her home prior to receiving aid – does not feel its fair. She is struggling financially just to pay her bills – went without a phone for a year. She used credit cards to also help her during her hard times – going into debt. Nancy is not optimistic about her ability to be self-sufficient. She has no savings or retirement and only defines her needs in the present – she has no future goals. She evidently worked a lot when her child was young and now realizes there is more to life than making money: she laments missing out on her son growing up – she “really doesn’t remember those young years.”
Judy:
Married white female, over age 60, working at a daycare but nearing retirement. Judy has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. After she got married, her father became ill and they moved in with their parents – they still live in the same house. She does not feel self-sufficient. They are still paying off student loans for their one daughter; concerned about their other daughter becoming involved with a man who’s not good with finances -- they had several kids but the father does not help much. She believes there should be more counseling and education regarding life experiences.
Tiger:
White male, recently divorced, 2 children. Recently worked for a construction company and was doing OK until he lost his job and became divorced. His ex-wife was from a “wealthy” family and lived an extravagant lifestyle. Possibly as a result of losing his job, his wife became unhappy with their finances. He is working again but there is a sense it’s not as lucrative as his earlier job. He shows high awareness about finances, credit and the stock market. He uses credit cards but tries to keep them current – believes high interest rates are a form of robbery. He does not use client services, and feels using credit cards burns many people. He plans on working for a long time, and realizes he “blew it” with his high paying job.
Greg:
Single white male, 35-45 years old, has worked in housing repairs for about 6 years – he feels he’s “doing all right”. Lives with a “nice” girlfriend who helps with the bills. He’s struggling financially but feels “lucky” he’s never qualified for credit cards. He feels its ok to rely on others for help and not just be “self sufficient”. He does tell about his father who went on SSI and Medicaid but had to sell his truck before they would help him – doesn’t understand the logic or fairness of it as the government now pays to have his medications delivered to his home.
Tom:
White male, 30-40 years old, working for government agency. Tom is now divorced but together they amassed $30,000 in credit card debt. He would like to pay off his debt but also would like to take care of his parents – but his debt is major obstacle to that desire. He believes it would take a “whole lot of money to break even” – his only hope is to “win the lottery”. “Self sufficiency” will not happen “in his lifetime”. Even though he’s burdened with debt, he still gets “a full mailbox of approved credit cards”.
Jack:
Married white male, over age 60, with 3 children and grandchildren. He worked in his father’s company when young, and when he left the Army and returned home he took over the company for himself. He feels like he “does well” -- making a living but not much more. Jack indicates a strong work ethic and belief that “there are no free rides”. The business requires that he work long hours, sometimes 7 days a week, but there are many “ups and downs” and they need to budget wisely to make ends meet. If he lost his business he expressed resistance to asking for aid because they would make him give up his house to qualify for aid. Jack has not established any retirement accounts and regrets he did not start saving when he was around 40. He now plans on working “until I die”. He hopes his son has learned from his mistakes. He talks about his daughter and son-in-law got into financial trouble and now she does nothing but work to pay off those bills (other than subsistence expenses).
Common Issues:
1999 – 2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Self Sufficiency
Subcommittee
Transcript Review:
Unemployed Not Clients
In attendance: Michelle Reeve, Gary Lee, Steve Cruse, Garvin Senn, Lark Buckman, Dan Hayden
Summary of Stories:
Dawn:
White, high school graduate, married, 2 children and is now pregnant. She is a “stay at home mom”. She was employed in retail management until she had her first child. She enjoys staying at home with her children. She has an interest in finding affordable and quality childcare – to assist her when 3rd child is born. Appears to be content in her family life.
Edith:
White, over age 70, retired, involved with her grandchildren. Her husband was forced into early retirement (asked to relocate with 5 years left to retirement). He had worked in factory but was promoted to “blue collar management”. There was some struggle getting his social security benefits. Edith relates her story of a traditional housewife and homemaker, with a strong work ethic. She worked early in their marriage but quit when she had children. She believes work values are missing from today’s youth – they tend to be unable to defer their gratification. She also questions the loyalty of companies which downsize and force into retirement long standing employees. There is a little bit of comfort in Edith’s life and she recounts how she “goes to the boat” as part of her “privilege” of being retired. There is a concern about health issues and paying for medical expenses – especially cost of medications. She is also concerned about the quality of care in nursing homes.
Justin:
White male in his early 20’s, a high school graduate, working part-time on his grandfather’s farm. Justin feels his farm experience will not serve him well in the job market. His ambition is to own some real estate and his family will match him “dollar for dollar” in that effort. He does seem to be in a hurry to follow that dream.
Linda:
White female around 40 years old, married to a truck driver, 3 children and is currently pregnant. Son (over age 20), and two young daughters. She is not working now, but seems resistant to low-paying temporary jobs – especially in consideration of childcare costs. Although she feels others should be willing to take low-paying jobs. They are struggling financially, living paycheck to paycheck. His job is seasonal and there are long periods of no or little income. She had worked in retail management for 15 years but was replaced with younger worker. She feels this is a trend in retail work and this age discrimination is wrong as it displaces older, experienced and more dependable workers. She has been applying for jobs but has some concern about employers inquiring about her credit history. She does not indicate a personal problem there, but is concerned about keeping her rent current so they have a clean credit history for when they purchase a home. Her son is in college and still seeks financial support from them. Her other financial concern is health care and medical expenses. She recently got behind in her medical bills and the doctor had a nurse practitioner see her – she was upset that she got charged the same for less expertise. She and her husband have tried to save but emergencies quickly deplete their account. Linda is concerned about the long-term viability of social security, but they have no stated retirement plan alternatives.
Sergeant:
Black male, over age 40, military veteran, high school graduate. He recently left the military with a disability. Also attended local technical college. He is concerned that his military experience is not transferable to the civilian work force. States that many companies require experience as condition for employment, and is unsure how you get the experience first. He currently collects disability payments and other odd jobs. He believes there could a racial discrimination element to his job struggles. But is disputed by other black focus group participant who cites similar job struggles among the white focus group participants. Sergeant recognizes his need to upgrade his skills in order to get a job that is more than “just paying the bills”, he want to “progress” as well. He has a hard time thinking about the future, more concerned about meeting immediate needs, although he does have hope for the future. He cites transportation as one of his biggest challenges. He has no private transportation and uses public transportation when he can. He believes his lack of transportation inhibits his employment possibilities. He also states that poor people should not be limited to inner city areas, as the jobs are out of downtown and they should be able to live closer to the jobs. He is concerned about the changing job market, the corporate down sizing and early retirement, but yet believes the economy is doing well and jobs are out there. He is resistant to re-locating to other communities.
Aretha:
Black mother of 4 grown children. She has a degree in business administration. She came here from outside area to take a job with a government agency. She lost her job when a fellow worker falsely accused her of making threatening comments. She "has a problem keeping a job”. She states that her job was acquired with help from affirmative action, but was not enough to help her keep it. Aretha is currently receiving unemployment compensation, unsure what she will do when that runs out. Even though she says she will work at McDonalds if she has to, she wants to upgrade her computer skills. Aretha does have a dream of marketing a “video” idea she has, and discusses getting a patent for her concept. She’s not sure where to get financing and is reluctant to seek funding support because she fears rejection. Racial prejudice does not seem to play a part in her troubles. She has a laid-back attitude regarding her future and feels “You can get a job anytime you want it”. She believes the government should hire people to investigate false claims made by fellow employees.
Jack:
White, single male, over age 30. Jack has 2 years of college. He was recently working in sales in the “bar business”, but recently became unemployed as he wanted to do something else. He works part time in his mother’s business, but wants to find another career or go back and finish his college education. He is “picky” about his job prospects as his single status keeps his needs low, and he feels he still has time to choose. There appears no sense of urgency in Jack’s situation.
Hope:
Married white female, 2 young children, a college graduate. She worked part time until children were born and is no a “stay at home mommy”. Her husband makes good money, even though they still have to make sacrifices. They seem relatively secure as her needs stated as “buying race bikes” for her kids. She states her goal is to raise responsible children with solid work ethics. She does foresee going back to work in a couple of years (when youngest child turns 6).
Martha:
White mother of 2 children, grandmother of 4, has a degree in “secretarial science”. She worked for government for 13 years. Is recently married. She is seeking another job but believes companies don’t hire her because of her age. She recently took a job with a mortgage finance company but was fired for some unspecified reason. It was important to recount that they sent in a “young co-worker” to tell them they were fired. Martha worries about their financial security. Her husband got hurt on job recently and he missed several days of pay and worries what would happen if he lost his job – “it’s scary”. Her daughter is in college. They want to be able to save money to buy a home, but seem more worried about keeping up with rent payments so it won’t affect her credit history. She has been applying for jobs but her self-confidence is shaken with all the rejections.
Common
Issues:
1999 – 2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Self-Sufficiency
Subcommittee
Transcript Review:
Unemployed Human Service Clients
In attendance: Garvin Senn, Michelle Reeve, Gary Lee, Steve Cruse, Lark Buckman, Dan Hayden
Summary of Stories:
Wynona:
White female, over age 25, moved to Evansville 5 years ago, married with 3 children under age 8. She does not mention a husband or the father of the children. About 3 years ago she became homeless and lived in shelters and her van. Her mother had rental property in town but refused to let her stay there. She had a couple bouts of depression and used medication to help her (no longer medicated). She was not happy living at the homeless shelter – felt they treated her badly. During this period, “social service” also threatened to remove her children. She’s currently working and keeping current with her bills, now living in her own house (for last 2 years). She received lot of agency help – especially around Christmas (received $600 in gifts from a church). She feels she has tasted the depths of homelessness and has no desire to return.
Reba:
White mother of 3 children, unemployed, had lived in western U.S. before moving to area in 1999. She was married to a computer person but was homeless for a brief period while she was pregnant. She experienced the welfare system requirements in California and Washington – citing difficulty of getting aid while married to her husband. She also worked in a childcare setting for a while. She left Washington because it became “too violent” and concerned about the safety of her children. She moved to area because it was safer and cheaper. She now lives with her sister and her bills are all paid – was even looking forward to a good Christmas with gifts provided by a local radio station. Reba defines self-sufficiency as living day-by-day and just having a roof over her head. She does express a strong faith in God -- he has protected and provided for her during hard times. One of her children has ADHD and she has problems dealing with hospitals and medical people – doesn’t trust them. She also talks about the disincentives of working and making more money and having aid benefits reduced. She says she would like to find a job, but on other hand she does not want her kids in childcare and lose control over her children’s values.
Mary:
Married white female with 4 children (under age 10). Recently moved back to Evansville because of fears of KKK in Kentucky. She worked as a certified nurse assistant until she became pregnant – believes her pregnancy had something to do with her termination. Her husband is also disabled and unemployed. They lost everything they owned in a house fire, and now live in subsidized housing. Around the same time, they also lost twins in a miscarriage. She wanted to work as a security guard but hasn’t been able to find the $80 to purchase the necessary uniform. Their baby daughter also has some medical problems, and they are receiving Medicaid for those expenses. Her husband has also been in the hospital a lot. Mary was interested in finishing her high school degree but said she went back to school and they didn’t want to help her.
Charity:
Unemployed, white mother of 3 teenage children. She got married at age 16 and was married for 10 years. There was a domestic violence scene and she left to live at a shelter – and was quite happy there. The ex-husband began denying fatherhood of the children and became physically abusive. The husband charged Charity to watch her children while she worked two jobs. After most recent abuse, she and children left most of their possessions behind in the house. A social worker took her to buy new clothes for the children. Her kids do have medical problems (ADHD and Asthma). She has used a local health clinic for her health needs, and also gets some assistance with medications. Charity believes her major barrier to self-sufficiency is her children – the difficulty meeting her children’s needs. On the other hand, she recognizes that “children are our future” – even though its unclear about the depth of that feeling. Her goals are to provide for her own children and to show the ex-husband she can make it without him. She is still hiding from her husband. She attempted to regain her possessions from the courts but no satisfactory results – thought it was a waste of money.
Loretta:
Evansville native, pregnant when she was 15, married with 5 children (ages 7 –15). She has taken some computer classes and is now looking for a job. She wants a job that has good benefits and work day hours. They have experienced some financial struggles and have had to manage very tight budgets. Loretta has used agencies when needed. She also expressed concern about the disincentives for working when receiving aid (dollar made is deducted from assistance). She didn’t like the way hospitals gave her problems about her Medicaid assistance.
Patsy:
White female with 3 children and soon to be divorced. Her husband worked and they were relatively comfortable until he became disabled. Their marriage fell apart as she “fell out of love”. He became emotionally abusive and she filed for divorce. The ex-husband has one of the sons and she has custody of the other two. Patsy also indicated she was “bi-polar” and had problems with depression. They had lived in the same house for 15 years but now auctioned in bankruptcy. She defines self-sufficiency as a good paying job with medical benefits. She would like to show her husband she doesn’t need him anymore. Her children get SSI and she is concerned about the low benefits they receive. She’s been to the trustee’s office but states they were “slow and rude”; other agencies “treated her like trash”. She is also concerned about the cut-off levels for assistance and being just over the limit and receiving nothing. She believes there should be a stair-step eligibility system. Patsy also relates about the difficulty her children have at school – teased for not having the latest fashion in clothing and shoes. She looks forward to the relief of not having the burden and responsibility of children. She does express a faith and appreciation in God.
Common Issues:
1999 – 2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Self Sufficiency
Subcommittee
Transcript
Review: Unemployed Human Service Clients
In attendance: Casey Fitzgerald, Andrea Hudson, Len Winiger, Lynn Imes, Debra Lutz, Dan Hayden
Summary of Stories:
Stacey:
Teenager, white, lives with fiancée who is same age and the father of their infant daughter and young son. They’ve been together for four years. He has worked full time at some job for past two years making $6.00 per hour. Stacey received her GED and is deciding whether to continue her education. She realizes that more education would get her a better job. Stacey’s mother was “on the system her whole life”; she and her father evidently fought with possible abuse. Stacey wants to provide a better life for her children than the one she had. She wants them to complete schooling and not drop out like she did. She wants them to take better care of themselves than she had. She feels you have to be financially stable in order to provide a good life for her children. She worked at temporary jobs to make money for Christmas presents. They are struggling financially…living paycheck to paycheck. They are renting a home in disrepair causing high utility bills – they do receive energy assistance from agency. Stacey feels like she has difficulty staying focused and can’t stay on a job for very long. She expressed frustration with the system, especially Medicaid regulations and the time and trouble it takes to apply and receive approval.
Mandy:
White female (older teen) with 1-year-old son. She is unemployed and lives with her mom (“I am a mommy’s girl”). She really doesn’t want to be out on her own. Her mom owns the duplex they live in and get some income from the arrangement. Mandy still wants to be free and go out with friends. She is thinking about going back to school to become a beautician. Recently got her GED. Mandy had 1 or 2 miscarriages before having her child, and has a lot of related medical expenses not picked up by Medicaid. The child’s father is around but not sure whether he contributes to the financial needs – they are “still friends”. She worries about her Mom (she has heart problems) and her son.
Janie:
Janie is an older teen, currently married to same man she has been with for the last 4 years. She has 1 young child. Husband typically holds a job – not “the best of jobs” as he is on probation for felony theft (3 years left). She doesn’t work. Says she has problem staying “focused” and the longest she held a job is 6 months. She wants to go back to school and get her GED. She has a positive attitude and seems fairly responsible. She feels they are young and still have time to make something out of their lives. Having her daughter has given her the motivation to do better. She believes her husband’s felony keeps him from getting a better paying job. Reports poor management of money , “We’re awful at spending money on just stupid stuff”. Water is currently shut off – states they “usually have one bill that gets behind every month”. States she “knows how to save money, but if he has the money it’s gone”. She’s unsure exactly what she wants to do with her life. She has used Medicaid and Food Stamps for income support. They live in relative’s home and only pay taxes, insurance and utilities.
Dinah:
Black female with 2 grown children. The son (older teen) lives with her. Describes herself as “low-income parent on disability”. She has been on disability since 1995. The son is a high school dropout. Dinah is going through employment training and has a goal of “feasible employment” by April 2000. Dinah worked as a supervisor in a retirement home before having a “mental breakdown” (her disability). She states she became too involved in helping residents with their concerns over the riverboat gambling issue. Dinah appears to have considerable knowledge of the “system”. She is eager to share her knowledge about services. Also appears to be a champion of a cause, even when it is not an issue pertaining to her own situation. She has experienced frustrations dealing with Medicaid regulations, and changes in “managed care” processes. She is very concerned about the cost of health care and prescription medicine. At times has to control her anger at her son getting sick – because she can’t afford the care. Dinah also struggles to help her son take care of himself. She is concerned about the drug world around him. She is concerned that she cannot provide the material things he desires, especially when he sees other young men his age wearing the latest rage in clothing, etc. She works hard to keep lines of communication open. Has read self-help books and others such as Real Boys which allows her to understand the challenges of youth like her son. She defines self-sufficiency as paying bills yourself. She feels she’s one paycheck away from being poor.
Misty:
White, single woman (no children) who was diagnosed with form of cancer in 1994. She received chemotherapy and the disease is in remission. She has transportation problems which makes it hard to keep appointments. She feels like her illness and the medications she takes prohibits her from working full time (she gets ill frequently). She has a hard time looking into the future – concerned about today and her health. Although she feels her health is getting better, with God’s help. She has had a difficult getting assistance from agencies. She was denied Medicaid assistance because her condition was not a eligible category. She sometimes patches together aid from Trustees and other agencies, but feels it’s hard to get aid since she does not have children. Her primary worry is the cost of her medications: $1,100 per month. She doesn’t want any cash, she just wants her needed medications. She currently stays with a family friend (doesn’t want to burden her older mother). Although she doesn’t work full time, she occasionally does odd/temporary jobs. Misty is a recovering drug addict and has been clean for 20 years.
Jenny:
White single parent. She has secretarial skills and is looking for work. She has an adolescent disabled son (mental health disability) – currently receiving Medicaid assistance. She lives in subsidized housing, and works flea markets (off the record) and other odd jobs. She is also receiving unemployment compensation – which ends in January – and wants to find a good job. Jenny suffers from depression (for about 10 years) and feels trapped in “vicious cycle” of low money and depression. She is struggling financially and feels she’s just one paycheck “from going under”. She has received help with utility bills. She was involved in drugs and alcohol at age 12 – as part of generational pattern of drug use. She used drugs for 20 years and finally “got sick of it” and went for help -- finally overcame her addiction through a treatment center and 12 step meetings. She works at staying clean.
Ross:
Older white male who is retired from the military. He lived on east coast for 16 years and has 4 grown children. In good shape financially with military retirement. He is concerned about fewer benefits he receives under Medicare as compared to military health insurance. Otherwise, Ross seems very content.
Montel:
Somewhat guarded in revealing personal information. Seems to have a sense of humor and has several notations of non-verbal cues such as 4-5 yawns and a snicker. He has 2 children – a daughter who lives in Atlanta, and an adolescent son who Montel describes as “real wild” and makes poor grades in school. His daughter completed 2 years of college but recently dropped out. He does not appear to be too upset about her decision, even though he was proud of her effort. Marital status is unclear, as is his source of income. He does make some reference about “being one paycheck from going under” and refers to being laid off. Montel does mention the challenges in meeting the health costs for his son who has asthma. His only agency support is mentioned as “utility assistance”. He expresses attitudes about “keep on keeping on” and “try to have good spirits”, but doesn’t offer any concrete solutions as how or what he does to stay motivated. He expresses some frustration (or maybe acceptance) that things are always going to be like this – just when it seems like he’s getting ahead, something happens and he’s “right back in the same situation”.
1999 – 2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Self Sufficiency
Subcommittee
Transcript
Review: Unemployed Not Clients
In attendance: Casey Fitzgerald, Len Winiger, Luzada Hayes, Lynn Imes, Debra Lutz, Dan Hayden
Summary of Stories:
Archie:
White male, retired afater 30 years, over age 60, married with 4 grown children. Was a supervisor for 25 years. Has worked other odd jobs since retirement, also volunteers for community organizations. He has a strong work ethic – only get something if you work for it. Parents also struggled. Tried to pass same work ethic onto his kids – never let them drive his car, they had to get jobs, save money and buy their own. Believes this is problem with many youth – not valuing the meaning of work. He worked second shift a lot and missed out on a lot of family activities – “my one regret”, but felt it necessary to provide for their needs. Is pretty comfortable in retirement, no wealthy but okay. Saved money for his retirement. Some health problems and concerns. Plays the stock market with part of his retirement money – has done well but recognizes the risk. Archie thinks the community should stop giving people so much – creating dependency and lack of motivation, and subject to much abuse. Feels more people should be self-sufficient. Too much is given to people without work. He saw more workers who didn’t have good work habits or commitment to work. Believes schools have lost ability to discipline children…. He’s glad he’s retired. When his kids went to school, they didn’t have much money and were made fun of. But his kids all seem to be doing well, not wealthy but in jobs with a notion of hard work. Loaned his kids money for cars but was strict about re-payment – “they got to learn to stand on their own feet” – they are self-sufficient although worried about one. He does believe people should be provided with health care as a condition for working – would help more people become self-sufficient.
Horace:
White male, over age 65, worked in office for 45 years, retired 7 years ago. Said he couldn’t keep up with all the changes in the workplace. Now volunteers for community agency. Raised during the depression and learned to be thrifty – parents were good role models. Saved money in the Army and sent home to parents, when he returned he bought a new car. Feels more people should learn to be self-sufficient – everybody should work unless they’re disabled. He also believes some people are just not willing to work. Emphasizes work and savings. Is now living on a pension and feels relatively comfortable, but not a lavish lifestyle
Nancy:
White female, over age 30. Moved here in 1997, trained in health care field. Is not employed currently, has small children and hours are difficult (going back to work in January). Father was a self-employed farmer and instilled work ethic – needed an education “even if not college”. She had an easy life growing up -- farming was doing well at that time. When older, realized she had to take care of herself and not rely on parents. Got into some trouble with credit cards, but got out of it by “budgeting, paying off her debts, and managing her money”. She now makes her family realize they can’t have everything they want. Her husband is a truck driver. She would like to return to college but they make too much money to qualify for grants or loans and they can’t afford to pay for it out of income, so she’s pessimistic about her ability to advance career-wise. She wants to help others become independent. She and husband have taken in foster children. But also sees abuse in the system and believes some just want handouts. She would like to help those who are truly trying to do better, using her experience with credit cards and budgeting to help. She knows of people who just “live off the government”, but also saw abandoned children who needed compassion. She’s willing to help others, she would “be the first one in there” to help people learn how to manage their finances – something for free that doesn’t put people further in debt.
Marilyn:
White female, married housewife, 3 grown children, husband self-employed, native of Evansville. Marilyn was raised to be self-sufficient and believes in the value of hard work. Her husband is self-employed. She stayed at home to raise the children, made their clothes, had a garden to supplement food, and canned the excess food. She doesn’t have any regrets about her hardships or her life. Life revolves around her husband. He doesn’t have a pension but they have used some IRAs. They own their home and that will help during retirement. She didn’t use credit cards and they were frugal with their money. One of her daughters, however, got into credit card trouble – came over to her house crying and cut up all her cards. She went to work after that and hardly spent anything except on her kids – and paid off her credit cards. Son went to college but is living within his budget – “I am so proud of him”.
Common Issues: