Aidpage

That's AWESOME Debbie!  sounds very promising and I hope it secures you a job! I'm excited and happy for you., How do YOU think it went?

Take care,

Kelly

Hi and thank you!

We have many of the programs you speak of, as well. With me it seems, I "fall through the cracks" because I don't have children living with me and I'm not disabled.  That's what I keep hearing over and over. I was denied unemployment (didn't have enough time in), so of course next step is Public Assistance.  IT's just maddening to me that there isn't any help for an adult with no dependent children in their home.  I guess they figure I'm able bodied and should be working..well D'oh!  Do they think I'm not looking? Do they think I want to have to get help from the state? Why would anyone?  

Anyway..sorry I'm rambling, I have a tendency to do that at times!  

Thank you again for your kind words :)

Have a wonderful day,

Kelly

I'm so disillusioned with the "help" in this state, again I seem to fall through the cracks.  Just got off the phone with the Public Assistance Office, and I'm NOT eligible for Medical.  Why?  Again, because I'm not disabled, don't take any reg. medication and I"M NOT WORKING 100 hours a month!   Here we go with the "not working" again. I'm trying to find work...and if I was working, I wouldn't need the help!

They ARE giving me food stamps (expedited) and I can pick up my EBT card today...so that is ONE good thing.  Will I get LIHEAP?  Not sure, I am mailing the other paperwork they needed back to them today...

This is so well said, and I agree 100%.  I've always felt this way, but also, there are programs galore, but I (and many others) always seem to "slip through the cracks" with them.

I've always given of my time, and resources when I've been able.  I do it out of feeling good about helping another human being. I've never done it thinking about myself.

But, as you said, now that I need help, there isn't anyone.  That's the way of life, I suppose, but it's rather depressing and frustrating as hell.

I also, am without toilet paper, I have laundry galore and not even enough dish soap to wash any in the tub with.  But, one day things will be better again, I have to focus on that I suppose.  I'm lucky, it's just me here.  I hate being in this situation as I know everyone does.  NO ONE wants to ask for help!  In fact, for me, its the hardest thing to do EVER, to ask for help. 

I apologize, I'm rambling now, but your post really hit home.  I could have wrote your whole post :)

Take care...and if there's anything I can do, let me know and I will try.

That's great news!  Even paying a little shows everyone you are TRYING and hopefully they will all work with you.

Take care.

PA links to community programs and resources: (housing, hospitals, libraries, shelters, HUD and more!)

Booker T. Washington Center
www.btwcenter.org

(George J. D'Angelo) Boys and Girls Club of Erie, Inc.
www.bgce.net

Community Resources for Independence, Inc.
www.crinet.org

Community Shelter Services Inc.
www.communityshelter.org

Crime Victim Center of Erie County, Inc.
(Formerly Rape Crisis Center/Victim Witness Services)
www.cvcerie.org

Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Center, Inc.
www.drbarbercenter.org

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
www.edinboro.edu

Erie (City of Erie government site)
www.ci.erie.pa.us

Erie Center on Health and Aging
www.healthyagingerie.org

Erie County, Pennsylvania
www.eriecountygov.org

Erie County Public Library
www.erielibrary.org

Erie Playhouse
www.erieplayhouse.org

Family Services of Northwestern Pennsylvania
www.familyserviceserie.org

French Creek Council, Boy Scouts of America
www.frenchcreek-bsa.org

Gannon University
www.gannon.edu

Greater Community Action Committee (GECAC)
www.gecac.org

Hamot Medical Center
www.hamot.org/

Hispanic American Council of Erie
www.eriehispaniccouncil.org

Housing Authority of the City of Erie
www.hace.org

International Institute of Erie
www.interinsterie.org

John F. Kennedy Center, Inc.
www.erie.net/~jfkdn

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)
www.lecom.edu

Martin Luther King Center (Bayfront NATO, Inc.)
www.bayfrontnato.org

Mercyhurst College
www.mercyhurst.edu

Millcreek Community Hospital
www.millcreekcommunityhospital.com/

PAHMA
www.pahma.org

Penn Lakes Girl Scout Council
www.girlscouts-pl.org

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
www.pserie.psu.edu

(E.F. Smith) Quality of Life Learning Center
www.uecdc.org/qllc/index.html

Safe Horizons Services for Women, Inc.
www.safehorizons.com

SafeNet
www.safeneterie.org

Saint Vincent Health Center
www.saintvincenthealth.com

School District of the City of Erie
www.eriesd.org/

Stairways Behavioral Health
www.stairwaysbh.org

St. Martin Center, Inc.
www.stmartincenter.org

St. Paul's Neighborhood Free Clinic
www.stpaulsfreeclinic.org

Trinity Center
www.bethesda-home.org/programs/trinity.htm

United Way of Erie County
www.unitedwayerie.org

Urban Erie Community Development Corporation
www.uecdc.org

Visiting Nurse Association of Erie County
www.erievna.org/

Voices for Independence
www.voicesforindependence.org

YMCA of Greater Erie
www.ymcaerie.org

STATE AND NATIONAL LINKS

Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
www.hud.gov

National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)
www.nahro.org

Northwestern (Pennsylvania) Legal Services
www.nwls.org

Pennsylvania Association of Housing and Redevelopment Agencies (PAHRA)
www.pahra.org

Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
www.dli.state.pa.us

Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW)
www.dpw.state.pa.us

Idaho Housing offers rental assistance:  http://www.ihfa.org/ihfa/rental-assistance.aspx

also, check with your local Catholic charities.  You have to dig around. There are tons of good info and links on Aidpage but you have to look around.

Good luck and stay positive. You are in a tough situation.  Do you have ANYONE around you for moral/emotional support?  I hope so.  

Take care.

Hi Phil and thank you.

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately!) I don't have any disabilities which was why I was denied TANF and General assistance!  

Hopefully something will come through, I'm working on it daily! 

Thanks for the information~

Can you die from Lonlieness?

Read Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, by John Cacioppo and William Patrick. ISBN 978-0-393-06170-3. Its major theme-we humans are a very social bunch, and being cut off from other people, might be the very worst punishment of all with very negative effects to our health.

Cacioppo showed that prolonged loneliness can be as harmful to your health as smoking or obesity. A persistent sense of rejection or isolation can impair DNA transcription in our immune cells. This disruption also impairs thinking, will power, and perseverance, as well as our ability to read social signals and exercise social skills. It also limits our ability to internally regulate our emotions-all of which can combine to trap us in self-defeating behaviors that reinforce the very isolation and rejection that we dread.

Well no, from broken heart syndrome yes. Loneliness can increase your likeliness to die earlier, or more of a chance for acquiring a disease.

( I can't give credit where I found this, I was saving things as I went today and didn't save the link for this.)

*Italics and colored text are my doing

Thought I'd post this in case it helps anyone, it's nothing new - it's things I've seen around here on various pages, but I ran across it so thought it might help someone.

Immediate financial help is available for struggling families and those facing unexpected income loss, disability, disaster or other crisis. Most programs evaluate families to ensure that they qualify before offering assistance. In a financial downturn, more and more families look for financial help, but not all really need it. Here's how to get immediate financial help.

1. Step 1

   Evaluate your situation and compare your monthly projected income to your necessary expenses of housing, food, transportation and basic clothing. If you don't have enough to pay for these basics, you will likely qualify for immediate financial help. If there is a large amount of income going to things like credit cards, debt payments or other categories, you will need to cut spending there and work with debtors to lower your payments.

2. Step 2

   Contact your county or city human services. You can call 2-1-1 in most U.S. states to learn about immediate financial help options available to you.

3. Step 3

   Look for local branches of the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and other national charity organizations to get immediate financial help to pay rent or mortgage, keep the lights on or buy food.

4. Step 4

   Inquire at local charities for immediate financial help. Civic organizations in your community often have funds to help those in need, but the amount will usually be very small due to smaller budgets.

5. Step 5

   Turn to churches and religious communities, especially those in wealthier areas, for immediate financial help.

6. Step 6

   Research specialized organizations and charities. They have smaller budgets but more specific goals, such as helping families of AIDS children, disabled union workers, writers association members or families of firefighters. If you fit on their category, you have a good chance of getting the immediate financial help you need.

Info came from here

Thank you so much everyone.  The well wishes, links and numbers and ideas DO help!  it's truly appreciated :)

Well...I have to GET TO MY INTERVIEW for the food stamps, which is posing a problem too.  Though I am eligible and have sent in all the proper paperwork. I just feel like at the moment, it's the least of my worries! 

I have some chicken broth, a few eggs and some cheese left that I can eat. I won't starve I guess.  Haven't had much of an appetite past few weeks...which is probably a good thing.

But, I do understand what you are saying. I won't starve to death.

Uh. I'm feeling like it!

No internet soon.

Phone off in 2 weeks

rent due in 2 weeks.

No car.

$19 to my name.

No food.  

UGH.  

No help on the horizon.  Food is nice and all, but won't do me any good to have food and no where to cook it now will it?! lol

Thank you. I will do some more research, and of course it's friday night, so can't be calling anyone now. 

My internet will be shut off most likely MOnday...then I'm screwed, blued and tattooed as they say.

 Have a nice evening :)

If there is, I cannnot find one.  The closest I could find for $ was TANF or if you were not eligible for that, there's General Assistance.  I'm still looking though.  If I actually HAVE eviction paper in hand, I can get some rent help, though it's only about $100 from what I understand.  (funding of course).

I just shake my head...and wonder how so many people in my area are on assistance and living fairly well?!  I need temp. help so I will have a roof over my head, but nope, nothing for me. 

Exactly! 

I guess they figure if you are ablebodied you should be able to find employment. It's not always that easy for other reasons...

Thank you.  Actually I'm not sure what program she is talking about either.

I have applied for welfare, but I'm only "eligible" for food stamps and possibly medical.  No cash assistance.  I only need help with rent THIS MONTH. Not long term.  Ugh.

 But anyway, that's what I'm running into everywhere.

I'm not disabled.

I have no kids in my home.

I am not working.

Not out of jail.

etc. 

Give me strength!  

Seriously?!

 this is cut/pasted directly from an email I just recieved: ( highlighting the 'wtf' part...)

"Your email was shared with me.  I am a caseworker in the Social Service department of St Martin Center, 1701 Parade St.  xxx-6113 x 7(Natasha, scheduling secretary).

Thanks again so much. Enjoy your evening! 

(I get the family thing too, believe me I do!)