TRUE STORIES
Homelessness is a distant issue to many of us who have no fear
of losing our own homes, going without a meal, or sleeping on the
streets. Many times, with our own security, it is difficult to
believe that homelessness even exists, and harder still to
imagine what circumstances and issues might bring an individual
or family to such a crisis point in their lives. Yet the problem
of homelessness continues to grow in our world, in our nation,
and in our own back yards.
Rural homelessness increased 300% between 1985 and 1990. Good
Works Inc, which began in 1981, provided 664 night of shelter in
1984 compared with 4700 night of shelter in 1994. The people who
come to Good Works bring a variety of concerns and issues with
them including alcoholism and drug abuse, mental illness,
domestic violence and disputes, learning disabilities, and
histories of crime. Some suffer from the shock of losing their
home to fire and other disasters. All suffer from a sense of
alienation. 85% of those who stay at Good Works are residents of
southeast Ohio; only 15% are transients. The following accounts
are actual phone interviews conducted by our staff with persons
who called Good Works seeking shelter . Only the names locations
and dates have been changed to protect their identities. We share
these to help provide you with greater insight into the trauma
facing many of the homeless we serve. Our hope is that you will
gain a better understanding of the situations facing the rural
homeless so that your reservoir of compassion will be enlarged.
Monday 5:35 pm
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY ARE SEEKING SHELTER
Lisa is from Wellston-Jackson area. She has been separated from
her husband for 2 years. She was evicted from her apartment in
McArthur for not paying rent, beginning in March. She has been
staying with friends, but she put her 2 sons into the care of her
mom 2 1/2 weeks ago. She didn't get her $334 welfare check
because her kids weren't living with her. She has been fighting
with her mom to get her kids and she may get "the law"
to help her pick them up tonight or tomorrow. She will call us
tomorrow to come over for shelter. She has no high school diploma
or G.E.D. She says she wants to work but paying for childcare is
the drawback.
Tuesday 10:20 am
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY ARE SEEKING SHELTER
Debbie is from Athens, her maiden name is Jones. She was divorced
about three years ago and her ex-husband has had custody of her
two boys, but the court is taking them away from him this week
because of abuse. Debbie has been living in Columbus with her
boyfriend, her ex and her sons are in the Newark area. Debbie
also has a three month daughter whose father, I believe, is her
boyfriend in Newark. Angela's mother and 5 brothers live in
Nelsonville. She says that in order to have custody of her two
sons and be able to work and support them she is going to have to
live back to the Athens area. She cannot, however, live with her
mother as five of her brothers still live at home. She has been
receiving an Aid to Dependant Children (ADC) check for $279 and
food stamps from Meigs Co. Debbie is 23 years old.
Tuesday 12:25 pm
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY ARE SEEKING SHELTER
Bob and his wife Janice were staying with her mother in Chauncey
in a place she was renting. They got thrown out when she was
evicted in Feb. 1st. They spent all their money on a hotel room.
They receive some public assistance and food stamps. They both
are required to attend GED classes by the Department of Human
Services. Bob says he is looking for work. They are not signed up
for any of the local housing units. I told them they will be
sleeping in separate rooms. (At the time, all the rooms in the
shelter were occupied—Ed.) Bob is 19 and his wife, Janice,
is 18 years old.
Friday 3:30 pm
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY ARE SEEKING SHELTER
Sheila, age 33 is a college student at Hocking College and is
studying business management. She has 2 quarters until she
graduates. She lives in Athens. She lost her job at a bookstore
in Lancaster because she witheld information on her application,
related to her being a convicted felon. So, since she had no
money, she is being evicted from her apartment. She gets $100 in
public assistance and $100 from work-study at Hocking College.
She is not ready to come here but is exploring her options.
Tuesday 4:30 pm
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY ARE SEEKING SHELTER
Cindy is from Hocking County and lives there now. She has been
separated from her husband since Oct. '91. She was working in
Columbus but has been laid off work with a slim chance of being
re-hired. She is waiting to hear about receiving unemployment
compensation, but has no income. She is looking for work in
Lancaster. She is being evicted due to not being able to pay
rent. She has not been given an 'out date' and will call us back
when she needs us. Her daughter is in her husband's custody.
Cindy is 34 years old.
Monday 5:30 pm
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY ARE SEEKING SHELTER
No actual phone interview was done on Alice, age 51. She was
picked up on the highway and dropped off here without a phone
call. Alice has been travelling for many years. When I sat down
to do an intake with her, she was pretty tight lipped about her
life. She claims to have lived in Richmond, Kentucky, but has
travelled extensively. She doesn't know where she is going and
has no concrete goals. When asked about her goals, she mumbled
something about education. She seemed incoherent on many of her
responses. She claimed she couldn't remember her social security
number and also had no one I could call in case of emergency or
on one who could verify who she was.
Wednesday 2:20 pm
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY ARE SEEKING SHELTER
Steven, age 51 is from Michigan originally and has been
travelling around looking for work. He spent last night in
Parkersburg, W. Va. I told him he may only stay one night because
he was not a resident of SE Ohio. He asked if we were going to
give him his own room and I said no, he would share a room with
others. He said "forget it" and put down the phone. I
called out on the phone and the secretary picked up the phone and
I explained what had happened. She suspected he was looking for a
place to stay and drink because he asked for the VFW. At this
time he is not coming here by his choice. I didn't get a chance
to go over house rules nor to ask if he was drinking today.
Thursday 11:00 am
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY ARE SEEKING SHELTER
Albert, age 56 claims he lives in London, Ohio. He says he was
visiting his brother in Morgantown and is on his way back to
London. He ran out of money and got into Athens this morning. He
contacted a Methodist church in town and got connected with the
pastor who got him a bus ticket to London, leaving at 9:15 am
Friday. Albert had told him that he had talked to Good Works
previously and we had said we couldn't help him. I have seen no
record of a call from him earlier and yes, we could help him with
one night. Albert doesn't want to stay here but wants to stay in
a motel room, claiming he doesn't want to be a problem to us
because of his epilepsy and diabetes and bad legs. He kept asking
me if the Red Cross or Salvation Army could put him up and I told
him we were it. He was very disappointed. He said he was out of
medicine for his epilepsy. I suggested he call Jim Mowry
(Veterans Representative) and see if he could get help at the
V.A. hospital in Chillicothe. I said we could help him , but he
said he didn't want our help, just a hotel room. The Methodist
church secretary got on the line and said they could offer him
nothing more, but she would help him get a hold of Jim Mowry and
would call us back if Albert needed a place. I called Rabbi
Newton and relayed all this information to him. I filled him in
on needy people who have learned how to "play the small town
game." At first mistook him for another resident who was
here in April of last year and didn't realize until after the
phone called that Albert was a different person.
