Hi Leigha, Patty's on the right path (is your municipality that small, Patty?), but she didn't take it far enough. Look in your yellow pages for 'Social Service Organizations'. That's where they list Catholic Charities, Jewish Family Services, Red Cross, and other things that look promising. Got noting to lose but a few phone calls. NOTE: FOR THESE KINDS OF THINGS IT MAKES NO MATTER WHAT RELIGION ONE IS. If there are any social service orgs that are restricted, I think they'd be shut down. The more you try, honey, the better the chances of finding where you can get help.
I feel for you. When I was first separted w/ a 4 yr old and a 6 year old, I was getting court ordered support, but it was a very few bucks more than rent. The help I get, often from strangers, is amazing. Many people are willing to help if they know help is needed.
If you go to a church or synagogue, send your kids to the appropriate groups for their ages. Kids often tell their parents what they've heard. As I said, people can't help unless they know the help is needed.
Even when we could afford clothes (not the best, but clothes) my daughter preferred places like GoodWill or the Salvation Army store. From the kids I see on tv and walking by to/from school, it looks to me like what the kids are wearing can be passed down a number of times. And no reason to be embarrassed. I live in a very wealthy area. (I've a lovely subsidized garden apartment.) But I am certainly not wealthy. My needs are met because I am housebound and have few expenses. Occasionally I buy something from tv or the web, but always something I need, and always w/in my price range. So nothing carries over on my charge card. I've had no interest charges in so long I can't remember how many years it's been.
Sorry. That's all I can come up w/. I fell asleep typing again, and was out for about 3 hours.
I hope that things work out for you. Please keep us posted. We care.
Peace,
Sylvia
Call the Food Stamp people and ask what they recommend if they can't help you. I'm having a terrible day. Migraine on top of not enough sleep, and now just beginning to feel sleepy. Hope I sleep of the headache.
I now know when I have to quit before I stop making sense.
Try those, Leigha, and plese let us know how it goes? There is no need to be embarrassed. Half the country is in the same position. My pharmacist had a customer who had worked in a very high level job on Wall St. ask if the pharmacist was still looking to hire. I don't remembered what he said, but he told me he doesn't want someone who will leave the second the job market opens up. Tho I think he's a bit too positive. The job market (talking real jobs w/ real pay, benefits and such) is going to take awhile to get going. When they give the employment stats I finally stopped crying by leaning to laugh at what they say. If your unemployment has run out, you're, I guess, not in existence anymore. There's certainly no colume for those who's unemployed has stopped but who, not only don't have jobs, they now need someone to watch the kids if they go to work, and it's unlikely they can make enough to pay the babysitter, never mind enough for food. There should be a colume for those w/ no income at all.
If I dream of more choices, I'll let y'all know. I've been where you are more times than I want to remember, and I've an added problem. My diet is restricted to almost anything that real people eat. Also, the last time I signed up for re-training in the employment office I was rammed by an SUV and left w/o the ability to work before I even finished the applications for training. I got SSU - Disability During Unemployment. Same amount per week and same limits. I was lucky in a sense. My bro may have said that, since he no longer had to worry about Mom's heart, if I needed help to get it elsewhere. I've one bro ann he has one sis. Did he think money grew on the tree outside my window? Did it fall from the sky like mannah?
I finally used up every cent I had - including my IRA's which would have been decent pay added to my SSA. But if I kept refusing to use it, I'd have been in the street long before I retired. I am not the rough and ready sort. I'd not have made it on the street, and I was two weeks away and terrified. A unit became available for me in this complex. I'd signed for a 1 bedroom and the ditz who never did ANYTHING w/o some error. Running out of time, I took the bull by the horns and called my bro to ask for the money to move. If I'd have asked him or the rent, there is no doubt he'd have said no because I'd no idea if or when I'd be able to pay it myself. We discussed the move, and I finally told him he rent was calculted just as our mother's had been. The only monetary difference was that her subsidies were HUD and mine are USDA (they sent around a blind man to figure out what was rural and what was urban.
He finally said the move would obviously be of great help to me, and sent me the money. Interestingly, since then (1998) the only thng I asked him for was the money to go to his son's wedding. First he said no, and then he said it wouldn't look good if I wasn't there. I've asked for nothing since then, but he started sending me checks - a hundred here, a couple of hundred there. And about two years ago he sent me four checks in 12 months that were more than my SSA. I figured he wanted to give me a heart attack before I really needed money. Kidding. He sent it Z(tho he has no idea why) because he felt guilty. The reasons would be another novel. But we have had no contact in about 15 years since his son got married except a rare email. I miss him. Not that I don't need it, but I'd rather see him than receive more money.
Be well, Leigha, and I do hope that things change for you. If you want to talk w/ me, I suggest a PM. I've not been well lately (I fell asleep for abuut 3 hours while writing this). and I try to get to the boards, but if I can't do the boards, I look for PM's that need responses.
Peace,
Sylvia
Post edited by: Sylvia4648, at: 06/30/2012 08:53 PM
'I didn't have time to write a short [post].' Mark Twain wrote that one for me. LOL
'Wisdom is knowing when you can't be wise.'
'Life is what's happening while we are busy making other plans.'
NOTE: I can't imagine anyone is surprised that distracted driving has overtaken drunk driving as the number one cause of death on the road. Please, y'all, keep your eyes sharp when you drive. The guy in the next car could be on a computer in the dash board (whoever dreamed that up should have to watch autopsies), while the one behind you is texting. It's important to be aware of those around you. The kid who ended my second to last life was in a huge SUV and on the telephone.
I am not a medical practitioner. I speak only from personal experience. Please do not interpret anything I say as medical advice.
