A lot of people only see the stereotypes attached to people who receive different types of public assistance from the government. Many people look at public assistance as a handout that is strictly reserved for lazy women with no ambition and no intention on bettering themselves. I am here to burst that myth wide open. If you have ever worked and payed taxes a day in your life, you have made some contribution to help someone who receives some form of public assistance.
Welfare is the one thing that stands out when people think of public assistance. The welfare system was set up to help women who could not or would not work for some reason or another, to have some type of income to take care of their children. Although I don't totally agree with the way that the welfare system was set up and maintained, I feel like that one example of public assistance has given it all a bad reputation.
Public assistance programs usually offered in counties all over the country offer assistance to help pay daycare fees for mothers who work or even go to school full time through the childcare voucher programs. As a partnership with the Employment Security Commission in many states there is a program offered through public assistance called WIA(Workforce Investment Act) that will cover the cost of tuition, books, supplies, daycare, and sometimes milage for people who go back to school full time due to an unemployment situation that was beyond their control or who are severely underemployed. There is the foodstamp program that is offered to help families to be able to feed their children nutritional meals. There is a transportation program that will assist in getting patients who receive medicaid to their doctors appointments for free. This is especially helpful for elderly people who don't family/friends who can take time off from work to take them to the doctor. Then their is the medicaid program that offers free or low cost full coverage health insurance to children and in some cases women. There is utility assistance available for elderly patients. There are even progams available to help low income families purchase homes.
Would any of you seek out help from a public assistance? If you have ever gotten assistance with public assistance? Would you do it again? How was your experience?
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Janovia I have received public assistance in one form another since my children were born (My son is currently on Medicaid only because it lasts for a year without any recertification). I have never been on "welfare" or lived in public housing, but I have received food stamps, medicaid, WIC, and was in the Section 8 housing program where they paid a part of my rent.
I was grateful for the help and didn't feel ashamed because I contributed to the system through the taxes I paid while I was working full-time. It was a help up for me and not a way of life, an opportunity to feed my children and make sure they had adequate medical attention when needed until I got on my feet. I used it mostly when I was in college full-time so it was not like I was hanging out at home everyday doing nothing.
The process of getting these services was a mixture of relief and frustration. The worst program to get on was food stamps. They want to know your entire life history and make is extremely difficult to get on the program. One would have to be completely destitute to get on the program and without any resources whatsoever.
That's my experience and review of public assistance. It is useful for temporary help, but not for long term benefit in my opinion.
Janovia > Samantha GregoryJanuary 9, 2008 at 9:45pm
I'll say this. When a program is government funded, the only way that it continues is if there is "someone" who is is need of it. However, on that same token, you can't continue to have the same people on a program for extended periods of time because then it looks as though the program isn't effective. So, why not switch the demographic on those who are considered in need? From a business standpoint, it makes perfect sense. But from a human standpoint, it seems pretty low.
Janovia > Samantha GregoryJanuary 9, 2008 at 3:13pm
I agree that it is not useful in the long term. However many people are taking advantage of the system and they have no intentions of ever getting off, until they are forced to. I think that is what scares some people away from it, they think it is meant for forever. Also, the system is having to crack down on everyone because a few people are taking advantage of it.
Replies
I was grateful for the help and didn't feel ashamed because I contributed to the system through the taxes I paid while I was working full-time. It was a help up for me and not a way of life, an opportunity to feed my children and make sure they had adequate medical attention when needed until I got on my feet. I used it mostly when I was in college full-time so it was not like I was hanging out at home everyday doing nothing.
The process of getting these services was a mixture of relief and frustration. The worst program to get on was food stamps. They want to know your entire life history and make is extremely difficult to get on the program. One would have to be completely destitute to get on the program and without any resources whatsoever.
That's my experience and review of public assistance. It is useful for temporary help, but not for long term benefit in my opinion.
All the best,
Samantha
Blue Serenity Ink