Rocky M, NC Something That Should Concern all of Us

I have done my first "Home Visit" which is to visit the home (of usually elderly people) and survey what they need help with.
Todays visit was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. This couple lives right here in Roanoke Rapids, the husband is dying from cancer, the wife has something like a hunch back and is disabled. They rent their house. It does not have a working heater, the doors and windows are falling off. The landlord has passed away and their Grand children are taken over this house.I went to see if they had anyway to get heat. We had some crisis funds for just this problem. They had their water cut off last week, and the power was due to be cut off today. The husband is confined to the bed. I had to do an interveiw sitting in a lawn chair, with a blanket wrapped around my legs, it was that cold in there. They had some furniture but not much. He gets Social Security of 428$ a month. The rent is 425$ a month. She does not get disablity, she was turned down. This leaves them 3$ to live off of for a month. They have medicines they can not get or anything else for that matter.
Now, my thing is...what can we as a society do to prevent this to keep happening? What can we do to help? They have no food, no heat. I did get there electric paid and on, and a friend of the slumlord paid for their water. Are we to sit back and wait for stuff like this to happen to us. Should we sit on our fat asses, go about our every day lifes thinking how bad we have it? I'm looking for real answers, i guess. The "government is not helping them by the way" I work for non-profit organization that has to beg for every penny we get. And thanks to Bush, we have been cut every year he has been in office 1000's of dollars. Lets try to help...don't ask me how, I just know we need to do something. Our wonderful government is doing jack **** for our elderly.

 

All I can do is shake my head at this. Sad, really sad. But its typical. Some folks sit on there asses and taken care of by the government for having 10000 kids by 10000 different men. Then theres people like this who cant get help. Sickening.

 

That's the reverse edge of an advanced society. Modern medicine allows us to extend our lives long past our ability to support ourselves. And with the baby-boomers getting up there in age, the problem is only going to keep getting worse. The only realistic solution is one that is morally reprehensible: euthanasia.

 

This is going to sound very cold and possible very callous...

Let me preface this by saying I have no knowledge of how and why social security, disability, unemployment, need/housing authority and Medicare work... still I find it hard to believe that there is no permanent solution in place to help those who need it... charitable organizations are great but they shouldn't be looked at as being responsible for these people... if anything charities and non-profit organizations should be viewed as a quick helping hand for those who stumble along the way.

I can offer no help in your recent case... I can barely pay my bills on time as is... I can not afford any more in taxes to help others...

It's sad but I have to ask where are the friends and family of this couple. I was raised to take care of myself but if I couldn't, I could always turn to family. It should be a family's duty to help... not society's nor the government's. Let's say this couple has no family or their family is in poverty as well... being elderly they must have made some friends along the way or belong to a social club of sorts ( i.e. church )... if you can not count on your friends in a time of need when can you?

Then I still have to ask myself are these people trying to get help or are they the type that needs to do everything on their own? I have seen far too many people who didn't need the money and get it to believe those that those who genuinely need it can not get it.

These are though times... there are no easy answers... no one way that is guaranteed to work... the best I can do is what I am doing... you mentioned Bush's policies have squeezed budgets of charities tight. It is possible that the budget could have been balanced another way... I don't know that...

If I ever decide to run for politics all I can say is I will try my most earnest to help our nation over other nations. ( We currently send billions in aid over seas to countries that hate our guts... ummm, Gone! I would redistribute that wealth domestically. ) I will try to bring a cohesive national movement that focuses on fixing broken programs ( i.e. No child left behind ). I know it is a pipe dream but one I may be willing to try... many years from now.

Lod-Reh SaJon ~
"If you seek knowledge and understanding look to the Force.
If you seek pain and suffering look no further than me."

 

I agree we need to help ourselves and get help from family, friends, etc. My problem is that there ARE programs out there but are horribly abused by people who are just as able to work as I am. Yet people who HONESTLY need help cannot get it. Please, Lodreh, NEVER get into politics. The filth will never wash off of you. They are the scum of the Earth. From the pissant wannabes in Sharpsburg right up to D.C. Everyone talks about Bush this and Bush that. No, I don't defend everthing he does. But it all starts locally and this state is run by the biggest bunch of crooks this side of Mos Eisley. Okay, I'm finished ranting now.

 

There are programs that are abused, However with your story, BarrisOffee, I feel the couple would more than benefit from it. I would also try to get the kids and grandkids to help. Also, while this sounds cold, try to get them to a hospice home. It may not help much but it would be better than what they are living in now. In this weather they need heat. WIth his cancer and her disability as well as their age, their bodies wont be able to take it. If you would like, a professor here is a geneaologist. I dont know much but he might have some suggestions.



I thank you and you for doing what you do. I wish the best to you

 

Our local police department donated Kerosene this weekend & all the paper work is getting done to get them moved to a Housing Authority as an emergency case. I feel like at least I made a difference (for the good) in someone's life.

 

I have to agree my friend but... "If good men do nothing that is evil enough"... I am still naive enough to believe one man can make a difference...

Besides one thing I am counting on is having great friends around to challenge me... to force me to think about the "greater good" so even the though choices can be made with all sides considered.

Lod-Reh SaJon ~
"If you seek knowledge and understanding look to the Force.
If you seek pain and suffering look no further than me."