When people hear the word homeless, they usually think of a dirty person begging for money are standing with a sign saying "will work for food".
That isn't always the case.
My family became homeless in September of 2009. Me, my husband, and 4 children. My husband had had a good job up untill July 11th 2009.
Because of an office mistake we were told we didn't qualify for unemployment benifits untill the new quarter which started in October. After the layoff our car quit running too. All of this at the same time. I really didn't know what to do.
I asked a friend if we could stay at their home for a few weeks untill we could figure something out. She said sure why not. With my family added over there we had 18 people under one roof. It was very hard. I went to Hankins Middle school where my youngest 2 children were enrolled to withdraw them from school. I didn't know where we were going I just knew I had to take them out. They wouldn't let me do it without knowing were they would be going.
The counselar put me on the phone with Denice Reamer a social worker for the Mobile Public school system. She started telling me about a new program that was designed to help people in our situation get back on our feet. I said I was willing to give it a shot.
It took forever to get started. We did everthing that was asked of us to do without a problem. We were told one thing one day and it changed the next. It was very stressfull but we hung in there.
Mrs. Barbara Caddell became our soctal worker for the program. She is an awsome lady. You can tell she really cares about her clients.
Finally after I was ready to give up we got into a place on December 23 2009. It was a apartment that was supposed to be nice and drug free. Wrong. The inside of it was patched. Doors didn't shut right, paint over the electrical plugs. Tolites that didn't work right and mold.
Men hanging out all day and night selling drugs and doing them in broad day light. People fighting and breaking into cars. It was a mess.
The program I feel didn't keep up their part of the deal. My gas bill finally was paid right before it was shut off. My rent wasn't paideither by the 9th and I was getting eviction threats. I got scared and moved out. I should have called Mrs. Caddell but I didn't. I was wrong for not doing so. Things just got to me. I transfered my lights on 3-12-2010 to another place thinking i was going to be evicted.
If you all feel the need to throw me out of the program then so be it. maybe somebody else could benifit more then us. It's up to you.
Thanks,
Caroline Marange
