Is there ANY real, non-conditional help for people that have reached the end of their rope?

[Syrinx]

So far, I'm able to get three squares a day, and sleep in a bed.

But to tell the truth, that seems so tenuous right now.

Personally, I'm only treading water. And I know so well that so many people are worse off than I am.

Is there ANY federal program that will, without condition, house and feed a person that has nothing?

What happens to someone in America, if they find themselves without money, and without the means to navigate our crazy system to make money?

When I first signed on here in 2002, I think, I defended Clinton all-get-out.

But I think now I was wrong, and I offer apologies to those I debated.

President Clinton presided over the destruction of the welfare system, meager as it was, that is required of any civilized democracy.

If I suddenly find myself to be without a home, and without money, where should I turn for help?

[CottonBear]

1. TANF (welfare: almost impossible to get & you must work & place kids in daycare) or homeless shelter

Couch surfing, living with friends or family or possibly some sort of section 8 housing might be an option. However, section 8 is mostly for young women with children, the elderly and disabled.

I'm a 99er(i.e. I've run out of unemployment, almost out of savings and no job in sight).

I am a middle aged professional who can't even land a minimum wage job much less any sort of job with any benefits at all. I lost my job of 16 years back in March of 2009. I'm SOL. I still don't have a job (not for lack of trying) and I have a very small child. Nonetheless, I don't qualify for TANF (welfare) since I own my home. No childcare assistance funding is available at this time (as per my application response from the state of GA). I'm still waiting on a food stamps decision and no LIHEAP (home heating and cooling) funding is available in Georgia at this time. I may not be a homeowner much longer however. You pretty much have to have NOTHING and no assets at all to qualify for any help.

Good luck to you.

edit: Some local agencies provide small cash grants to help extreme emergency situations and there are food banks and soup kitchens in most urban areas but not in most suburban or rural areas.

Local churches or other organizations may be able to provide help but don't count on it.

[Syrinx]

6. I'm not looking for help for myself

I'm thinking of other people. I get this attitude on right-wing boards.

I'm not talking about people that own homes and thus "equity."

I'm talking about people that have nothing.

[CottonBear]

10. You have to have nothing in order to get help but it's not unconditional.

Unfortunately, many of the unemployed and poor (both homeowners and renters) may soon find themselves with nothing and then find that there is not enough funding or even no funding at all for help.
:(

[DURHAM D]

2. You actually think the "welfare system" prior to Clinton

was set up to address the questions you are asking? Really?

It did not. It never has.

[Syrinx]

4. no

but he wrecked what we had.

[DURHAM D]

13. oh come on...

[Syrinx]

15. I'm coming...

What's your point?

[DURHAM D]

16. You pretended to post a legitimate question

but you dropped gratuitous crap re: Clinton in the middle of it. Hard to take you seriously.

[Syrinx]

18. What are you talking about?

Clinton single-handedly destroyed the American welfare state.

[DURHAM D]

19. At last you have revealed your actual agenda for your OP..

goodbye

:hi:

[Syrinx]

20. you seem to be crazy

[H2O Man]

22. Respectfully disagree.

President Clinton did not "single-handedly" destroy the public assistance programs. He played point for a coordinated republican attack on the poor.

[Syrinx]

30. I respectfully stand corrected.

I'm unfortunately prone to hyperbole. I appreciate your correction.

[nebenaube]

24. Actually,

Tommy Thompson did with his welfare to work pilot program here in WI; at least that's where it started.

[TBF]

3. Recc'ing this for visibility - good subject to talk about. nt

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Please see if this organization has helpful information:

They appear to:

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/need_help/index.html

:hug:

[Syrinx]

9. Thanks.

But again, I'm not talking about myself. I'm talking about national policy.

:hi:

[lunatica]

7. I would like to know the answers to your questions too

[Hannah Bell]

8. if you have any kind of disability, maybe ssi. but unconditional?

far from it.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes):

It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and

It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/

There is no non-conditional federal assistance, i'm fairly certain.

[Syrinx]

14. And that is so stupid, short-sighted, and stupid. :)

[JCMach1]

11. I would say coup de grace in terms of Clinton's involvement

Social Darwinism now sits at the heart of the 'welfare' debate. Hell, they have even inserted in the 'entitlement' debate.

Can we even call ourselves 'civilized' at this point?

[OneGrassRoot]

12. Ironic that social darwinism is promoted by creationists.

:(

[Syrinx]

17. I agree exactly

Clinton was such a great Hope and such a disappointment. All at the same time.

And now the media hog, he's even worse. I'm starting to hate the man.

He sold his soul for a handful of blowjobs. What a maggot.

[JCMach1]

29. He left us all feeling like Hillary must feel a good part of time...

[Oak2004]

21. The simple answer is no, there is no "safety net"

Not even when you have nothing, not necessarily even for the disabled (given the enormous waiting lists for the crumbs offered to the disabled, disabled people represent a disproportionate number of the homeless. And no, I'm not "just" talking about the mentally ill. And, btw, the right is starting to talk about how "unfair" it is that the disabled, most of whom, according to them, are "faking it" and/or "should be working", are getting "all these benefits" paid for by the overburdened "taxpayer", so figure those crumbs are now on the chopping block. I'm waiting for Breitbart to show up in disguise at the CILs with his cameras). Not even for senior citizens (more seniors go hungry than children in the US), whose crumbs are now under vicious attack, even from Democrats (our Democratic governor decided that it's better to balance his budget on the backs of seniors rather than raise taxes on the rich).

That said, some local communities make some efforts to address the crisis (drop, meet bucket). And family and friends sometimes help out, assuming one has family and friends who are not in the same boat, or who haven't bought into the propaganda that says that people who are struggling are just worthless bums who won't work and want a free ride.

Be aware that many, if not most, homeless shelters are much more dangerous than the streets, and that much of what passes for "help" is demeaning and controlling without actually providing any meaningful assistance.

Personally? If I were homeless again, I'd make a point of parking my homeless butt on the steps of the nearest legislative body, so that the guilty have to see what they wrought. I'm serious about this -- if I were more physically able, I'd organize a movement to do just that: empower the rich, and you'll have to step over everybody else to get to work, puppets. As it is I can't get out of the house to organize anything, and it's hard to organize the poor and homeless, or much of anything else, with a net connection. Every capitol in America should look like Wisconsin, and should stay that way until the people are back in control of the nation.

[OneGrassRoot]

23. "Every capitol in America should look like Wisconsin..."

Every capitol in America should look like Wisconsin and should stay that way until the people are back in control.

:applause:

Brilliant idea, Oak2004.


edit to add a :hug:

:hi:

[lonestarnot]

25. Yes!

[Oak2004]

26. If there are people capable and willing to do organizing to that end, I'm willing -nay, eager-

to do what I can.

The time for figuring out why that guy on the street deserved what happened to him is over. The time for thinking that the ruling classes couldn't possibly do such a thing to someone as smart/educated/talented/necessary/compliant/quiet/respectable as yourself is over. The time for hiding, the time for fantasy and escapism, the time for waiting for a captive Democratic Party to lead on the issue (or allowing the crisis to be used by the party as a vote getter even as they act to make the crisis worse when in power) is over. The time for excuses of every sort is over. The time for action is now.

Unfortunately the wheels that I'm sitting on are not an excuse. They're an impediment during a snowy winter when the sidewalks become impassable, or when meetings are held in wheelchair inaccessible locations, and the cost of wheelchair-accessible transportation means that even when I theoretically can get somewhere to do something, I can't afford it (case in point: the local cab company charges twice what it charges non-wheelchair users. If I have to make an emergency vet visit, for example, it costs me over $100.00 one way for transportation. Try affording that on roughly $750/mo.)

My part in this, of necessity, will have to happen behind a computer screen. That frustrates me because part of the problem of the last few years has been that too many (perfectly able bodied) activists have been happy to divide their time between spending hours behind a computer screen interspersed with occasional forays into polite properly permitted afternoon protest rallies intended to influence policy by getting the attention of a corporate media that absolutely positively will not pay attention to any rally not in favor of continued predation by the rich. Theft of the wealth of the earth by the rich has been blogged to death. Any demonstration that can be safely ignored will be. It is time not to demonstrate politely and symbolically and temporarily, but to demonstrate with the intent to gum up the works for as long as it is necessary, whether or not corporate media admits the peasants are revolting. The US media bears an uncanny resemblance to the controlled press of the Middle east, does it not? The Arab world knew enough to measure success by the results achieved, not by the number of seconds dedicated to the protests in the evening news, and so should we.

I'm happy to do logistics, and I'm happy to set up websites with my (limited) net skills, and I'm happy to do anything else that people with wheels under them can do from home. But I'm so far from being able to organize anything by myself it's ridiculous.

[OneGrassRoot]

28. So well said, Oak2004...

as always.

:thumbsup:

Maybe you can do this as an OP and see if organizers will get behind it? I'm not good about rallying people in that way, though I'd do what I could to help the process and be directly engaged as much as possible.

There are surely those here who can tap into the organizations involved in Wisconsin and help get something started in every capitol.

I'll think about it and see if I can come up with any solid ideas as to how I could help as well, 'cause it's a great idea.

As progressives tend to do, there are just SO many different efforts -- all of them wonderful and worthy -- being launched right now that, at least to me, things feel really fragmented. That always frustrates me so much that it can't be more cohesive and super focused. :(

[ElsewheresDaughter]

27. Catholic Charities :largest private org Working to Reduce Poverty in America

The largest private network of social service organizations in the US works to support families, reduce poverty, and build communities.

Working to Reduce Poverty in America
Catholic Charities serve over 9 million people regardless of their religious, social or economic backgrounds
get help here:
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=292


www.catholiccharitiesusa.org