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Self-Sufficiency
is Important for All Families Reprinted with permission from Focus, Spring 2002, a publication of Family Service, Inc., Detroit, Michigan, Within the context of
a family, the term “self-sufficiency” has different connotations. For
some families, it means that their baby has learned to walk on his or her
own. For others, it means their teenage children have learned to drive.
And for some families, it means breaking the cycle of poverty — holding
down a good job or earning enough to achieve the American dream of owning
a home. Within the framework
of economic self-sufficiency, there have been difficult times for American
families. During the Depression era of the 1930s, breadwinners found
themselves out of work and their families on the verge of hunger,
homelessness and hopelessness. Government programs
created during this time supported families who were struggling to
maintain self-sufficiency. One such initiative was public housing. “From my knowledge,
public housing was begun to assist the worst victims of the Depression.
Residency was to be temporary until people got on their feet. It was
expected that eventually, everyone would have to work and move on,”
explained Patsy Fletcher, a Community Development Consultant based in
Washington, D.C. and formerly with the Washington, D.C. Public Housing
Authority. Today, public housing
still exists, now serving the working poor, the unemployed, female-headed
households and others who need support. Helping these families attain
economic self-sufficiency through good-paying jobs, homeownership,
entrepreneurship and wealth accumulation is fraught with challenges. While not a public
housing resident, Yolanda Simmons, understands well the challenge of
achieving self-sufficiency. While she was in a job training program, the
Detroit resident sought help from Family Service’s Program Division
three years ago. “I was having
housing issues. My landlord was not maintaining the property and I was
behind in my bills,” said Simmons, a mother of three boys and three
girls, ages 16 to 10. FS Program Manager
Carl Herrell moved into action, linking Simmons into the Agency’s
Wraparound program. Wraparound offers a variety of services to at-risk
youth and their families. “Carl taught me how
to think for myself and be confident in my decision-making,” commented
Simmons. “Whatever I needed help with, he was someone I could talk to.
He showed me how to push myself a little more and not to give up when
I’m scared.” Part of Simmons’
journey to self-sufficiency included clerical training at the Reemployment
Transition Center (RTC) in Detroit. After working six months at the
Center, she was hired on a part-time basis. That was three years ago, and
she enjoys the work tremendously. “I’m a clerical
support staff person and I also act as a community resource person,
attending job fairs and speaking,” said Simmons. She has spoken to the
FS Alternative Intervention Method (A.I.M.) program clients about RTC’s
Partnership Adult Learning program that provides computer and literacy
skills. Family Service’s
success with Simmons and other clients in the Wraparound and A.I.M.
programs recently led to another opportunity to help families achieve
self-sufficiency. “As the lead agency,
FS provides a single point of entry to link families to the variety of
programs and services residents need in order to successfully manage their
lives,” stated Barbara Fahrenkrug, Vice President, FS Program Division. The HOPE VI Program
(Housing Opportunities to People Everywhere) was created in 1992 by the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as a result of
findings by the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing.
HOPE VI called for demolishing and rebuilding public housing, with a goal
of creating mixed-income communities. HOPE VI also awarded
competitive grants to local housing authorities that creatively address
physical, social and fiscal problems. Joyce Jordan Shaw,
Associate Program Manager at FS, is working with families to link them to
job and entrepreneurship training in career areas that include childcare,
welding, manufacturing skills, and other trades. “One of the main
barriers to residents achieving self-sufficiency is their limited
education levels, which restricts their job opportunities,” commented
Shaw. “They need exposure to skills and training, even learning how to
complete a resume, so they can get good-paying jobs.” Both Shaw and
consultant Fletcher see other obstacles that are holding back families
from self-sufficiency. “Some
of the clients are second-generation public housing residents. Because
they’ve been living there for years, they don’t always realize the
need to become self-sufficient,” observed Shaw. “We help them realize
it’s time to help yourself.” What these families
need most is to realize they need help, according to Simmons. “Pride
gets in the way. They allow things to happen to them and they wait until
it’s too late,” she said. The culture of
dependency is passed on among generations, Fletcher has found. “Those
who have become accustomed to receiving assistance may never develop the
skills to be independent. It is important for families to achieve
self-sufficiency, because the type and form of assistance they have been
receiving may no longer be available,” added Fletcher, who has
master’s degrees in community economic development and historic
preservation. Another stumbling
block for families is lack of transportation, as well as unfamiliarity
with the agencies that can help them. “We work to motivate
clients and instill in them self-esteem, so they will pursue
opportunities,” explained Shaw. HOPE VI is also
dedicated to helping residents achieve the dream of owning a home. “Many programs
include home ownership as the pinnacle. This is fine, as long as the work
has been done to bring people to the point of wanting. . . to assume the
responsibilities that attend home ownership,” remarked Fletcher. Whatever the path
taken to achieve self-sufficiency, the payoff is significant for families
and communities. “When you’re able
to pay your bills from wages you’ve earned and have a choice of where
you want to live – that’s self-sufficiency,” commented Shaw. “Family members may
discover . . . creativity they never knew. They will be viewed as
contributing to society,” said Fletcher. “And communities may be
protected from some of the dysfunction that many times accompanies a
culture of poverty and dependence.” For Simmons, who is
close to completing the purchase of a home, self-sufficiency has meant
“being able to hold your own under pressure and being able to do it with
the right attitude . . . being an overcomer.” |