in desperate need
Friday, June 22, 2007-AM
Ok, well in February budget cuts cut my husband’s salary by more than
40%–they put him on hourly wage. We were just making the bills on
the old salary. He took this job after changing careers at 39 years
old because of an accident at work–that is still in the courts 4
years later, at a 50% reduction in income. So basically now he is
making just over 1/4 what he was making 5 years ago. None of our
bills have gotten any less, in fact the local electric power supplier
has been sued for illegally raising rates more than double. When he
lost the salary in February it meant no cell phone, no mileage and no
medical insurance. I am disabled. My income is SSI and Food Stamps.
Gasoline has of course gone up. We had to buy a car for this job and
with the mileage they were paying him it covered everything except
the insurance, now that is gone and we still have the car payments. I
had no way of getting in touch with him during the day in case of an
emergency, so he had to get his own cell phone which is now turned
off because we can’t pay that bill. The insurance is over due this
month, the electricity is three months behind, the home phone is
three months behind (and we have no long distance) –everything is
about to be cut off. My husband has pawned everything he has to pawn.
I sold everything I had to sell. We have taken out 2 loans at those
quickie cash loan places just to shuffle against each other every
paycheck. It sounds pretty bad–but honestly $1000 would pay what
needs to be paid today and $2000 would totally clear us up and get us
back on par. It is not much money, but to us it is a fortune. He
needs another job. He has been searching for months. He is 41 now,
not in the best health and he has no finished college degree. He
would love to go back to school and finish his degree but unless
we ‘win the lottery’ that is completely out of the question. We are
at the end of the rope. Any day now the phone will be cut off and I
will no longer have online access, which I have been using for job
searches and posting his resumes. We can’t afford to relocate–which
would not be anything but a disruption anyway–the job market around
here is as good as it gets and the cost of living is low. I have food
in the house, but we have another week to go before his next paycheck
and the bank is overdrawn by one check right now. Gas is still $3 a
gallon and he has to drive 50-60 miles a day round trip for work. He
is making $10.25 an hour, after taxes that is about $350 a week (he
gets paid every two weeks.) I make $623 a month and get $67 in Food
Stamps. We do not qualify for any more help. I have tried to cover
all the bases. If anyone has any other ideas that I might have missed
I would appreciate the suggestions. I have gone to the local
Christian Ministry/Food Pantry for help and we do not qualify because
we have no children. When I went to our own Church they suggested we
go to the Christian Ministry. We would not be so far in the hole
except that we were still reeling from him having to change careers
in the first place. If this stupid settlement would just come through
and be enough to pay the bills it would not be so bad. We have no
family that can helps us–for years we have been helping them and now
they are also suffering because we can’t do that anymore. We do not
know anyone well enough to ask for a loan or financial help. My
husband has pulled all the favors he was owed in the business world
to try and find a decent job and well, it is true when you are down
you are down alone it seems in that cut-throat world.
So please, I am asking for prayers, suggestions, anything. If I am
not here all of a sudden, it is because we lost the phone (internet
service was paid up ahead of time). Jesus will come through, but not
knowing HOW or WHEN is my test of faith. Please pray for my husband’s
faith in this too–he is not doing well with it all, it was a major
blow to his self-esteem and he has been very depressed. All I do is
pray and wait now. I don’t know what else to do.
Sincerely,
Ravyn Guiliani
May 2nd, 2007 at 4:26 am
Ravyn:
My heart goes out to you and your husband. Life is definitely difficult and
are filled with many hurdles. I think we have all been to the point of
despair at certain times in our lives. The good Lord will provide and you must
believe.
I know if you contact the pharmaceutical company - you should be able to
receive your medications free of charge. They ALL do this now for people who
just can’t afford it - or those who are down on their feet right now.
I do not know if Beford has them, but there are food banks here in Phoenix
that people can turn to for help with groceries and other goods.
I do not know what your arrangement is with your attorney on the accident
(most take them on a contingency basis) but maybe if you tell him of your
plight he can "advance" you some money based on the proceeds expected. I have
a
friend out here who did just that to tide her over until the case was settled.
You might try that as well. It is such a small some of money that you are
seeking - I would be shocked if your attorney wouldn’t front you the money.
Also - contact your local utilities company, the bank and other vendors and
see if they will extend you some additional credit. Don’t worry about the
cell phone - we all lived without them before so we can do it again.
Is there no type of work you can do from home - maybe even babysitting? If
you like children - there are many families out there would love to find a
person who can take care of their baby during the day while they are at work so
that don’t have to put the baby in day care. That is if your disability is
not so grave that you can’t pick up an infant and most of the day they are
sleeping. It’s a thought. That could bring in $50 a day at least.
I will put you in my prayers. Hang tough. . . .things will get better.
Christina