[quote=SD Realtor]BG believe it or not some people are at the limit. They live as simple as they can. They dont have lawns to water, they already are on the oatmeal and yogurt diet, and they are already on or near the threshold.
They will not cope. Your idea for increased sustenance is great. Wake me up when it becomes a reality. Meanwhile monthly bills keep coming in for these people.
There are plenty who can cope. There are plenty who cannot. Telling those who cannot that they can simplify when they already have their backs against the wall is elitist and ignorant.[/quote]
So, instead of writing your legislators (mine is having a town-hall meeting this Friday, btw), you want to be “woken up” when CA’s Agribusiness is back to a fully-functioning level :={
SDR, have you ever heard of county social workers? If a person is on public assistance, there is one assigned to them. If a family is running out of EBT funds days or weeks before months end, perhaps they have not reported all of the persons in their household to get the max benefit they are entitled to. That worker can also direct them to immediate commodities and make them an appt at the food bank.
Where are these people living that you see “have their backs against a wall?” Could it be in your ‘hood in Scripps Ranch? Why are they living there if they can’t afford it? There are plenty of cheaper areas to live in.
I’m about as far from “elitest and ignorant” as you can get in these matters. I graduated from a VERY long-term course in BUREAUCRACY.
There is “lifeline telephone svc” for low-income households available from AT&T for $8 mo and utility assistance for low income households as well as payment deferral agreements with no shutoff available from SDG&E. In an SFR, if you keep your water use down, your sewer bill should not exceed $40 bimonthly. Are these people running expensive heat when they can wrap their babies and small children in a sack or footed pajamas? Don’t have any? Call St. Vincents or AMVETS and they will bring clean gently used or even new pajamas to YOU if you can’t get to them. This is very doable. TJ has the same weather as SD and many homes there do not even HAVE heat! Are you aware that there are several places in the county to pick up free blankets? I believe agencies such as AMVETS may drop them off for you at least once per month when they’re in your area. All you have to do is call.
Do your people with their “backs against a wall” have smartphones with texting and internet capabilities? Sorry if I sound like brian here, but something’s amiss with your story.
If the families you are talking about here are American citizens and are truly up against a wall and are being evicted soon, they need to go to their nearest HHSA office (they’re all on a bus line) and ask their worker to find temporary placements, if not for all of them together, then for their children. Then the parents need to leave the area to seek work in an area they have family to stay with, if they can’t find any temporary placement for themselves or work here. HHSA may even be able to help them out with a bus ticket. They can easily reclaim their children on a better day. There are ready and waiting (highly vetted) foster households standing by. I know a few. There is no shame in this. My family originated from the nation’s dust bowl. Things like this happened a lot during the great depression. The greatest thing you can do for people in this situation is loan them your telephone and perhaps give them a ride to HHSA or the Food Bank.
I just hear a lot of whining here instead of possible solutions. This is America and there ARE solutions and assistance available right now for its citizens in need.
