We Interrupt Inspiration for Information PT. 1

We Interrupt Inspiration for Information
(Click charts to make them larger and easier to read)

A few months ago I met Brenda sitting in a chair in front of Gloria’s porch. Brenda is single, fifty-something, has a car and works two jobs. In the past she has gone from being self-sufficient to being homeless. For the past several years she has been living in public housing and really has a positive outlook on life. She cleans offices in a factory those that would have trouble getting a job elsewhere. Brenda makes $6.55 and works 40 hours a week. She has no benefits. She makes enough money to care for herself but not enough to get out of public housing. I am learning more and more about what it take to be self-sufficient in our town, it was a surprise to me. A devotional booklet is traditionally chock-full of inspirational stories, as I hope this booklet is. If you know me, you would know that I am not too traditional, so for the next two days are we will interpret the inspiration for some information.

“Self-Sufficient Guide of North Central Indiana”, published by Workforce Development Strategies Inc., is a document used by social service organizations all around the state that defines what it means to be self-sufficient. According to the document
the Self-Sufficiency Standard:

• Includes the costs ofhousing, food, transportation, medical care, child care, miscellaneous costs, taxes, and the benefitsof tax credits.

• Is a basic family survival budget, with no frills – no take-out pizza, no movies, no budget for emergencies, car repair, or long-term savings.

Most of those in the neighborhood function on welfare or part-time minimum wage jobs, several work full-time.

The chart below shows how much is needed per hour to be self-sufficient. It is very difficult to move to self-sufficiency when $14.00-$21.00 is needed. 5 It is no wonder that there are so many working poor in our community. It is not really a matter of being lazy; the issue is having little hope that working will make a difference in one’s lifestyle.




My new-found friend Brenda is close to self-sufficiency; however, she is seventy-three cents short per hour which is $29.00 dollars a week and $1518.00 a year. The $1518.00 per year would move her away from government assistance to self- sufficiency - - - but for her it might as well be a million dollars.