A 52-year-old Russian immigrant father living in a blended family and trying to make ends meet in New York City.
Job Training
There was no job training for me at all—a mop, a broom, a sponge and a buffer to strip and wax floors at 125 Worth Street. They told us at orientation that after three months [they] would ask for a transfer to their data entry training course. But, when my three months came up, they tried to close my case claiming that I was not showing up, or had not showed up for a period of two weeks. However, when I produced time records verifying my attendance, they immediately withdrew without explanation or an apology. Besides, I have personally been in several training programs, before so-called welfare reform, and they never ever really tried to get me employment in the field I had trained in. One training course I had was working as a court clerk for wildcat, which promised me that if I finished in good standing after six months I could be hired as a per diem. But that was a lie. I also participated in fegs, job club, begin and tap, [and] all they have done is shift me from one program to [another] while sending me out on job interviews for McDonald’s type of jobs, which in no way can help me economically or medically speaking as far as health insurance goes. They know that I have a wife and four kids, and [such jobs] could not, by any means, support my family effectively. I had a job with New telephone a few years back, and also a mailroom clerk position, but I had to give them off because actual cash was far less then cash grant, not to mention total loss or drastic reduction in food stamps, and most important absolutely impossible to foot health care expenses.
Have you received job training recently? No
Employment
[No response]
Have you gotten a new job, increased work hours or earnings in the recent past? No
Child Care
This portion will be short. My baby son, who turns five next month, had suffered from seizures while he was an infant. He still suffers from some sort of gastric reflux. He has, and still is on, Zantac right now. This Saturday, he is due to go to St. Luke’s for GI tests. This past Wednesday, I took him for a speech and hearing tests. The next test again will be to see if he has been having seizures again. Just to be sure. But to get to my point, and that is they told me that we would have to get anybody, regardless of training or license, to watch our child who was taking three different medications, three times a day or more. That we, me and my wife, would have to trust some untrained, unloving, indifferent stranger to administer critical medical care while we were out sweeping the street and toilet bowls for a welfare check. I of course refused.
Have you received child care assistance to help you get to work? No
Transportation
No car—no adequate car fare from agency, while attending workfares or fair hearing during April of ‘97. They still have not complied and paid back money I spent out of pocket.
Do you have adequate transportation to get to and from work? No
Health
[No response]
Do you and your family have a regular doctor who normally provides care? No
Health Care
[No response]
Do you now have health insurance of any kind (including Medicaid)? Yes
Additional information
I would like them to know that social workers are telling people who want to go to college to get a degree that they can’t, because this Congress led by President Clinton says that any aspiration for higher education is not plausible or legal, and shall not be pursued. And that a welfare recipient’s goals in life is to compete with the labor forces of the People’s Republic of China et al..
Last question: I expect things for myself and my family to get much better.
Demographics:
Author’s community or neighborhood of residence: N/A
Age: 52
Gender: Male
Last year of school completed: N/A
Race: Ethnicity—Russian
Number of own children at home: 1
Household size: 4 Children; 2 Adults
Does Author’s partner or spouse live in the household? Yes
Author’s gross cash earnings for previous calendar month: $0
Does Author currently receive any cash public assistance or welfare? Yes
Manner: Written by author