My name is Debbie Rasmussen, I have been unemployed for over a year now after losing my job of 12 years. I am a single white female, I am College Educated, I am almost 55 years old and this is the first time I have ever had to collect unemployment, and receive food stamps and face the prospect of homelessness. By the grace of God, good friends and what little family I have left, I've managed to survive. Almost facing homelessness, my friends who own a second home have let me stay in it in lieu of paying rent I am making repairs and painting it to get it ready to rent. My unemployment ($80/week) has now stopped, although, I understand the our President has approved a third federal extention in March, EDD has yet to program this extention into their computers and will not be ready until the end of the May. Getting Food Stamps was extremely hard, it took me three weeks to finally get approved. They had turned me down saying that I was not a resident of San Diego or of California, which I've lived here for 20 years, went to Mesa College, and was born in California. In fact I am a third generation Californian. I also applied for General Relief and was told that the waiting list was outrageous and I would only receive $200 period. In otherwords, I was discouraged to even apply and told that I would have to pay it back. Yet I know people who are not even citizens of this Country who receive full benefits (cash aid & food stamps) and only waited 3 days to get help. I have always been a positive person, however, this economy, my age, applying for countless jobs without any response and facing homelessness with my 2 cats (my babies) has left me depressed and feeling hopeless. I only wish I had a Motor Home. I have sold or pawned nearly everything I have owned, the rest has been stolen from me. These are desperate times my friends and I see no end to it in sight.
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Poverty & Recession in San Diego
My name is Debbie Rasmussen, I have been unemployed for over a year now after losing my job of 12 years. I am a single white female, I am College Educated, I am almost 55 years old and this is the first time I have ever had to collect unemployment, and receive food stamps and face the prospect of homelessness. By the grace of God, good friends and what little family I have left, I've managed to survive. Almost facing homelessness, my friends who own a second home have let me stay in it in lieu of paying rent I am making repairs and painting it to get it ready to rent. My unemployment ($80/week) has now stopped, although, I understand the our President has approved a third federal extention in March, EDD has yet to program this extention into their computers and will not be ready until the end of the May. Getting Food Stamps was extremely hard, it took me three weeks to finally get approved. They had turned me down saying that I was not a resident of San Diego or of California, which I've lived here for 20 years, went to Mesa College, and was born in California. In fact I am a third generation Californian. I also applied for General Relief and was told that the waiting list was outrageous and I would only receive $200 period. In otherwords, I was discouraged to even apply and told that I would have to pay it back. Yet I know people who are not even citizens of this Country who receive full benefits (cash aid & food stamps) and only waited 3 days to get help. I have always been a positive person, however, this economy, my age, applying for countless jobs without any response and facing homelessness with my 2 cats (my babies) has left me depressed and feeling hopeless. I only wish I had a Motor Home. I have sold or pawned nearly everything I have owned, the rest has been stolen from me. These are desperate times my friends and I see no end to it in sight.
May 17, 2009 at 6:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )