Recently unemployed single mother needs to vent... just a little.

Good Stacey!  It's just a little bit but it's headed in the right direction.  I know how you feel about food stamps, etc., but you know what, you're as worthy of it as anyone else.  I'm glad it helps to come into this forum and vent, I know very well how that feels too. 

Let me (us) know, I care...

Pam

just catching up, only to find out about your problems. keep in mind that part of what you pay in taxes goes to the food stamp program. most states use a 'debit card' for food stamps now so it's a bit easier to bear.  also, check with your power company to see if there are any energy assistance programs that you qualify for. if you have no health insurance, check with the local county health department to find out if you can flu shots for you and your little one. if you have any military experience there may be assistance there. if i hadn't just bought a house and had to do unplanned furnace work, i'd buy your bracelet and give you a year to redeem it. if you have a cell phone, drop any extra's except texting and make your minutes as lean as possible. i do know that if you have a house phone that phone company is supposed to set you up with a phone that will call out to hospital and doctor and allow some calls in. hope this helps you some.

 Vent anytime you need to. Keeping things bottled up will only hurt more than help you. Do get all the assistance you can, the lil one deserves to be fed food thats good for them to grow up strong not just wht u can afford to keep their tummy from empty. Ramen is bad for you, get the good stuff with food stamps ;) The assistance is there for ppl like you as well as the worse off ppl. Also call ur power, phone, etc ppl they might be able to have assistance programs for ppl like you. My phone co gives low income ppl a break, and i know the pwr co can create affordable plans for paying the bills a bit at a time too. If your public assistance office is like my local one, go to their employment center too. They might have listings for jobs listed only thru them. We have local places who will only hire thru the employment center vs advertise and take apps openly. 

good luck! You are in my prayers.

More update:

Finally went this morning to apply for assistance. I qualified for more in food stamps than I've ever spent in one month for my daughter and myself -- even when I was working!! My sister was a case worker for Sandoval County here in New Mexico, and she told me there is so much money out there in assistance, than no one should go hungry. She also told me that all the taxes I've paid over the years goes to pay for these programs, so now that I need it, I should use it. We're going to have good food now -- and enough! No more pinto beans and cup noodles!! Wow! Lena can take GREAT lunches to school now, have great breakfasts, and we can make some great dinners now.

I also signed up for Medicaid, and help with my electric bill -- looks like I'll qualify for help with that too. My child support made me ineligible for cash assistance, but my goodness, at least we'll have lots of good food now!!

On the job front -- still a big fat ZERO! I am so shocked that a person with a degree and about a decade of upper management/administrative experience is having such a hard time finding employment! I've had several employers tell me I was OVER-qualified. I HATE that expression: OVER qualified. I mean, if they would just grant me an interview, they would find out that I would be the most reliable employee ever, and I would cherish the opportunity to work! Instead, they see my education and experience and write me off....REALLY???!!!! It doesn't give me much hope that anything will come along anytime soon. Unemployment SUCKS! I just don't understand folks who would rather be lifetime welfare recipients when they are fully capable of finding work. Why?

So, some things are looking better. Now if I can just get a bite or two on the 7,628,209,467,583,927,293,054,854,629 job applications, resumes and cover letters I've sent out!!

 I am glad that things are looking up! Good for you. I am glad that my tax dollars can help you and Lena.  :)  I hear you on the job front. When I got laid off, it took me a while to find a job. Over-qualified - so tired of that term. I was ready to do anything and willing.  Have you tried an employement agency or even a temp agency?

Courtney

apachegirl:

So, some things are looking better. Now if I can just get a bite or two on the 7,628,209,467,583,927,293,054,854,629 job applications, resumes and cover letters I've sent out!!

 I love this! That's a lot of job apps!

Food Stamps- yes they do give you a lot! I've never gotten them but my stepsister did and I usually took her to the store on the 1st of the month. For 4 kids and one of them being 4 months old she got somewhere close to $800! Wow! I could do some major grocery shopping on that!

Well at least somethings are getting better. Hopefully with the start of the economy turning just a wee bit something will come up job wise.

apachegirl:

I qualified for more in food stamps than I've ever spent in one month for my daughter and myself -- even when I was working!!

I know exactly what you mean -- when I was laid off back in 'neolithic' times, we ate better  than when I was working!

apachegirl:

I've had several employers tell me I was OVER-qualified.

They just love that phrase -- I had applied for an electronic tech job in northern Alaska that I really wanted, and was turned down because I had a degree!!

They are sooooo strange . . .

 Food stamps are a generous amount, no need to say u can't afford the good fresh fruit and all now :) Enjoy it while u can and make sure u dont spend a dime of any other money u get on food and u have a chance to catch up on bills n stuff, thats what i did when i was on food stamps for a few months whn we 1st got this apt. I'd have starved if it were not for that assistance, and we can't just eat top ramen too much, my other half has sodium problems and gets really sick if he has too much, even ditching the flavor packet and using own spices is not enuf that stuff is full of sodium and zero nutrition.

 Thanks, for the Up-date. Life is a challenge of "under qualified" or "over qualified" and them there is the "under educated" and "over Educated".

Maybe try "Substitue Teaching" NM pays pretty good. I thought of that, but then I remembered "I love kids", its the way parents behave that would do me in Teaching.

I will keep you and your family in my prayers, the perfect Job you seek, is seeking you Right Now!

apachegirl:

I've had several employers tell me I was OVER-qualified.

I HEAR YOU!!!! What's wrong with having a degree or rather want to work for my money than getting welfare? OK, I better stop before I rant too much!

Kokopelli Design:

apachegirl:

I've had several employers tell me I was OVER-qualified.

I HEAR YOU!!!! What's wrong with having a degree or rather want to work for my money than getting welfare? OK, I better stop before I rant too much!

 You know what gets me?  The REASON they say that is because they can't afford to pay us what we are worth.  Thing is...esp in an economy like this...WORTH isn't nec. the issue...having some sort of a living is the issue.  The problem that I find with that phrase is that more often than not they don't even ASK if making a smaller amount of money than your actually worth is acceptable.  I mean...one would think that if you applied for the job...you might actually have wanted it.  And since when does an employer want someone who is technically less educated or less experienced to do the job if they can pay someone who HAS experience or an education to do the same job?  How much sense does that really make????

I hear you on the "over-qualified" thing.  When my dad got laid off after 9/11 he had that problem, and a good friend of ours who retired from the military earlier this year is having it now.  Companies don't want to hire him because a) they can pay someone with less experience less money, b) they think as soon as you find a better job you'll quit and they'll have to hire someone else anyway, or c) with the economy like it is they just don't have the money even though they want to hire someone.  If he had a dollar for everyone who said "we'd love to hire you, but..." he'd be rich already.

Glad to hear you were able to get at least some assistance-that's got to be a huge relief!

LYILHA:

Kokopelli Design:

apachegirl:

I've had several employers tell me I was OVER-qualified.

I HEAR YOU!!!! What's wrong with having a degree or rather want to work for my money than getting welfare? OK, I better stop before I rant too much!

 

 You know what gets me?  The REASON they say that is because they can't afford to pay us what we are worth.  Thing is...esp in an economy like this...WORTH isn't nec. the issue...having some sort of a living is the issue.  The problem that I find with that phrase is that more often than not they don't even ASK if making a smaller amount of money than your actually worth is acceptable.  I mean...one would think that if you applied for the job...you might actually have wanted it.  And since when does an employer want someone who is technically less educated or less experienced to do the job if they can pay someone who HAS experience or an education to do the same job?  How much sense does that really make????

THANK YOU!!! If they would just grant me the interview, they'd find out that what I want is the opportunity to work!! Why would I apply for the job in the first place if I wasn't willing to take the pay offered?! Sheesh! Whew... it's good to know that I'm not crazy and that other people completely understand my overwhelming frustration with that cockamamy phrase: over-qualified... Sometimes I wonder if the job was already promised to someone's buddy or in-law... if so, then DON'T ADVERTISE the position! WHEW! I feel a little better now getting that off my keyboard (chest)... Thanks, y'all!

apachegirl:

LYILHA:

Kokopelli Design:

apachegirl:

I've had several employers tell me I was OVER-qualified.

I HEAR YOU!!!! What's wrong with having a degree or rather want to work for my money than getting welfare? OK, I better stop before I rant too much!

 

 You know what gets me?  The REASON they say that is because they can't afford to pay us what we are worth.  Thing is...esp in an economy like this...WORTH isn't nec. the issue...having some sort of a living is the issue.  The problem that I find with that phrase is that more often than not they don't even ASK if making a smaller amount of money than your actually worth is acceptable.  I mean...one would think that if you applied for the job...you might actually have wanted it.  And since when does an employer want someone who is technically less educated or less experienced to do the job if they can pay someone who HAS experience or an education to do the same job?  How much sense does that really make????

THANK YOU!!! If they would just grant me the interview, they'd find out that what I want is the opportunity to work!! Why would I apply for the job in the first place if I wasn't willing to take the pay offered?! Sheesh! Whew... it's good to know that I'm not crazy and that other people completely understand my overwhelming frustration with that cockamamy phrase: over-qualified... Sometimes I wonder if the job was already promised to someone's buddy or in-law... if so, then DON'T ADVERTISE the position! WHEW! I feel a little better now getting that off my keyboard (chest)... Thanks, y'all!

 Of course!  I will keep you guys in my prayers...something is sure to pop up at some point.  I am currently looking for a job too.  I am not unemployed but the pay at my current job is about the same as what I would get for unemployment.  Its sad and I can't live on it.  Take care of yourself!

Stacey,

That "overqualified" is a bunch of BS. When I was a single mom with one child, I applied for jobs with the state of AZ. It worked something like a job bank, where you only had to fill out the application and take the employment test once. I took the test and scored the second highest the HR person had ever seen in the xty years she'd given the test. Man, that did my ego good!

I went for an interview on the other side of the county - 60+ miles EACH WAY - at the department headquarters for a job that was less than 5 miles from my home. I got interviewed by 2 people and did well (I thought). Though, in retrospect, I noticed the interview seemed to hang a couple of times on the test scores. I had been told by friends who had worked in the department for years that there was no typing required nor was there a minimum wpm. (Which was good news to me, because at the time, I was about 30 wpm on a good day!) I knew I didn't get the job (overqualified) when they had to search all over for a typewriter, a clock and materials to give me a typing test. They didn't have an "official" test, so I knew it was rigged. Soured me on trying for any other state job.

Keep on plugging away - with all those applications out there, something has to shake loose for you! Just remember, the corollary of Murphy's Law about job hunting says, "As soon as you find a job and are committed to it, at least 2 other places that you applied will call to hire you."[And at least one of those will be a better offer than the one you have.]

Good Luck!

Deb