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BBBTBW -> RE: Food Stamp Challenge--$21 a week (6/10/2007 12:40:32 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady
quote:
ORIGINAL: MsSonnetMarwood
A couple things you're incorrect about:
- employers are not required to give employees benefits if they work full time. Many do not. Laws may vary from state to state, but I do know that New Jersey (nor PA or MD) doesn't require benefits for full time workers.
- scholarships and grants CAN cover books, gas to commute to school and back, and other expenses up to and including living stipends (although not enough to live on without also working at least part time). It depends on the specific terms of what the specific scholarship will cover - and students can apply and get multiple scholarships
If you took it to mean I was implying that employers are REQUIRED to provide benefits, I'm sorry. That was not my intent. However, the two particular companies I mentioned have a policy where they DO provide benefits to full time employees, but hire as few as possible in order to not have to provide them. While it is not required to provide benefits, if an employer has a benefit program in place, those benefits are required to be made available to employees under certain guidelines, such as all full time employees are entitled to benefits.
Yes, many scholarships and grants can be used for any incidental expenses above and beyond tuition if the recipient has funds left after paying tuition. However, some scholarships and grants are designated only for tuition. The problem arises in someone being made aware and finding enough grants and scholarships to cover those things.
The BIGGEST problem I found while living on assistance was not being able to get information that I needed to help me. It is difficult for many people to have to ask for help, but when you are asking for simple information about where to go to get the various help you need and people respond with "not my job" your level of frustration goes through the roof quickly. I went to a local homeless event (where products and services were being made available for those who needed them) and was amazed at the ignorance of some of the groups that were there. I spent a great deal of time with several of the "vendors" letting them know what some of the most important things were that I knew people needed. Not one of them had toilet paper, a big need, shampoo was another thing that was in short supply. Feminine hygeine products! One vendor had sample packs of tampons, and was handing them out to women one or two at a time. I certainly don't want to gross people out, but I don't know many women who could get through an entire people on two or three tampons. Those products are very expensive. I am proud to say that several of these "vendors" vowed to try to get more of the things that people would need after I spoke with them. They had no idea that something other than food and warm clothing would be helpful and that is sad.
Another thing is that the system is very unequal where men and women are concerned. More training services are available for women, in fact men really don't get any free training at all. The logic seems to be that women have been raising children and now need the education to get on their feet. To a great extent this is certainly true. But what most people need is help navigating their way through the system and finding what they need. While I was attending the various required programs, I spent a great deal of time directing people on finding what they needed. For those who wanted an education, I told them about various scholarship sites that could be helpful, for those who were finally getting out of the shelter and finding their own place, I was able to hook them up with a church that provided donated furniture. A man who lived in the boarding house I was in had never had a checking account in his whole life. He had always had savings accounts and had no clue that when the bank told him his balance, that outstanding checks could effect the reality of that balance. Consequently, he overdrew his account. When he tried to go to the bank to straighten things out, the bank was beyond not helpful, wanting to charge him a daily fee until his account was in balance again. This man lacked any education, had just started collecting his social security (he was 63), and that late charge was going to completely wipe him out of his 500 some odd dollars of social security. I went back to the bank with him and spoke with the manager, just hoping to do something about the late fees, and managed to get the bank to void ALL the charges after I explained that he didn't understand. It took 30 minutes of my time and he was unbelievably grateful. Too often, people don't want to take the time to do something that simple.
Did the women I directed to scholarship sites actually utilize the information? I don't know, but at least they now had the tools they needed if they chose to do it. Does the man with the bank account now understand how it works? I'm sure that he does. The whole "not getting involved" mentality of people is a bigger part of the problem. Not everyone wants to get off assistance, that is true. But when the sysem makes it difficult to get the information you NEED to do so, it certainly doesn't help.
Now that you have all this knowledge, what are you going to do with it? I hope that you are considering starting a Non-Profit business funded by the Gov't to help indigent people with these types of issues. This is something as you said that is GREATLY needed.
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