Personal Experience

When assembling the Poverty Challenge, the committee that helped organize the event was asked to provide first-hand testimonies from those they serve to illustrate the experience of homelessness and poverty. The account below was provided to us through a Crisis Services Homeless Outreach worker:

Intro:

John Doe is a single male who suffers from medical problems with his kidneys. Mr. Doe became homeless due to his disability because he is not longer able to work. Mr. Doe has applied for and is pending disability benefits. Until his disability benefits are approved, Mr. Doe had no other choice but to apply for Public Assistance, Food Stamps, and Medicaid. Due to the amount of cash assistance he received, the only housing he could afford was a rooming house where drug usage and prostitution was known to occur. Also, with such a low Public Assistance benefit, Mr. Doe found himself relying on his Food Stamps to cover the majority of his grocery bills.

Story:

When it came to food, I usually was buying TV dinners, canned goods, pop, and milk. I couldn’t buy toiletries with food stamps, which is what I really needed. Because food stamps weren’t enough, I had to visit various food sources (i.e.: City Mission, free dinning sites, etc). I would have to visit outside sources every other day because the food stamps were not enough to cover my grocery bill.

I feel that the system is unfair because the food that I want and need I can’t get. It was hard to find other things that I needed such as toothpaste and toilet paper which I also needed to keep my hygiene up. I felt angry and frustrated more than anything. There were many times I went hungry due to the fact that I did not have enough food stamps to cover my needs.

If I was able to change the system, I would change the amount of cash assistance that is provided. Even though they pay rent for the room I was living in, I still needed money for every day needs. As far as the process, I feel it is unfair that you have to wait 45 days for your case to open. It’s not fair that someone has to stay in a homeless shelter because it takes 45 days for your case to open, you should know right then and there. With emergency food stamps, especially if you have kids, and it is a true emergency it should be processed right then and there. They shouldn’t have to wait five days.

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Poverty Challenge Day Two

The Poverty Challenge is off to a great start! Check out Rev. Drew Ludwig’s blog. Drew is the Pastor of Lafayette Presbyterian Church and is participating in the Poverty Challenge. He has chosen to not use his car or public transportation today and is blogging his experience with the Poverty Challenge:

No Cell phone, no driving. In order to make a little more room to eat, I will also forgo internet at home, and post from church.

Leftovers from last night’s dinner were breakfast today. That, plus my morning cup of coffee takes me to about $1.50. I started to look in the fridge for more after my breakfast, but then I remembered that I have to eat the rest of the day, so I should budget myself a little bit more carefully.

After I started riding my bike to the church, I remembered that I left my lunch at home. That means that I will have to ride back home or find another way to eat.

Another small adjustment. I plan on visiting my friend John in the hospital today. He would love a diet coke or some non-hospital coffee and/or a newspaper. But buying him these things means less for me. I haven’t decided what to do yet. I want to be a good guy, but I don’t want to go without, either.

Which brings up another dilemma. Because I am not driving, somebody else will have to give our kids a ride home from youth group tonight. Living without affluence means that I have to serve in other ways, and it means other people do the things I normally would.

Of my $7.56 that I started with, I have $6.06 remaining [This number will be updated after lunch].

One thing I find particularly interesting is Drew’s account of not being able to bring his friend a soda or coffee because that would mean less for him. Sometimes even being able to give someone a gift -even something as small as a soda or coffee – is a privilege that some don’t have.

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