Job Training
I took a five week course with Telemon Communications years ago for training in electronics. They paid me for the training, paid for the motel room, and gave me food vouchers. After we were trained, they helped with a job placement. If that job didn’t work out, we could go back and they would help us find another job. The door was always open. Also, they told us success stories of where people were before the point of starting the training, and where they went once they graduated from the class. I have done electronic assembly until 1998. I then trained as a department manager at Wal-Mart 2½ years ago.

Have you received job training recently? No

Employment
I have always looked ahead when applying for jobs to make sure it would work with my family life. When I worked with electronics, my hours were from around 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. I left electronics because it was all through a temporary agency, and I wanted something more stable and with benefits–something that I would know that I would have a paycheck the next week. When I started at Wal-Mart, my hours stayed the same. I started as a stocker and moved up to department manager. I have the opportunity to move all the way up to store manager. When I started working as a stocker at $6.40 per hour about 1½ years ago, I had three children and I applied for food stamps. I was told that I didn’t qualify. I was going to apply for daycare, but they told me the waiting list was really long, so I decided not to apply. I now make $9.40 per hour as a department manager. They work with me with my family life. Like if daycare is not open, they are understanding if you take the day off.

Have you gotten a new job, increased work hours or earnings in the recent past? Yes

Child Care
The waiting list for the child care assistance was too long, so I didn’t even apply after my son was born. My four year old goes to daycare and has been in daycare since he was three months old. The daycare opens at 6:00 a.m., and I start working at 7:00 a.m., so it works great. It’s also right up the road from home, so it’s really easy. When I first started at Wal-Mart and applied for food stamps, the cost of daycare was $105 per week. I received WIC during this time, but part of the criteria for WIC at that time was to take cooking classes. I had a fourteen and seven year old at that time, so I already knew how to cook, and the classes were taking time away from work. Also, they were teaching me how to make things like chili and we don’t even like chili. So I decided to quit the program because it was too much hassle and I didn’t want to waste my time.

Have you received child care assistance to help you get to work? No

Transportation
I own my own car. I fill my tank when I get paid each week and it lasts until the next week. I have just always budgeted for that. I spend about 30-35 minutes one way to get to work, including dropping my daughter off at school and dropping my son off at daycare.

Do you have adequate transportation to get to and from work? Yes

Health
We are all pretty healthy. We get minor colds every now and then and that’s about it.

Do you and your family have a regular doctor who normally provides care? No

Health Care
My sons are covered under their father’s health insurance plan. My daughter was covered under Health Check, but she is now covered under my health insurance plan at work. It costs me $7.42 per month for [a] $350 deductible per year. There is a co-pay, but I don’t know what it is because I have never used it. I also have dental insurance through work and have used that for myself. Dental also costs $7.49 per month. I recently had dental work done and it cost me about $130 out of my pocket for over $700 worth of work.

Do you now have health insurance of any kind (including Medicaid)? Yes

Additional information
I would like them to know that the system does not work for people that are trying to help themselves. I would like to go to back to school, but the system is so hard to work with. There is so much red tape that you have to go through, that it’s not worth it.

Last question: I expect things for myself and my family to get much better.

Demographics:
Author’s community or neighborhood of residence: Wake Forest, NC
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Last year of school completed: 12+ five weeks of electronic training
Race: Black
Number of own children at home: 3
Household size: 3 Children; N/A Adults
Does Author’s partner or spouse live in the household? Does not apply
Author’s gross cash earnings for previous calendar month: $1,450
Does Author currently receive any cash public assistance or welfare? No
Manner: Transcribed by collector