A Thousand Dollars Away From Homeless

For the last month, I've been writing about a woman who is now less than $1,000 and one week away from homeless. Her name is Debbie. She's in her early fifties, a remarried widow, and mother/grandmother living in Bradenton, Florida (south of Tampa). After nine months of scraping by on a shoestring income and combing every job opportunity, she's at the end of the road. (See Hello America, This is Your Wake Up Call (Part 1))

Of all the lousy times, now during the worst economic meltdown America has seen in nearly a century, she's facing eviction. In this last article about Debbie, I humbly asked all who feel moved to help prevent the tragedy of homelessness in America from happening again, and specifically to help me prevent it from happening to Debbie.

Like so many stories, Debbie's seems to be going out not with a bang but with a whimper. Despite her circumstances, she remains selfless to the last as she writes:

"Like my landlord said, pay by the 30th or leave the house. Right now I have no means whatsoever to pay the rent, so we have no choice but to go. No place to go but our car. After twenty years, it is all we own. I have already looked at rest stops and buildings with many offices and rest rooms that are in hallways thinking this is a good spot to come to wash up if I end up homeless. What a horrible thought but I have to think those thoughts, I have to. I have to have a plan and be strong and get all the tears out now so if it happens I won't upset my kids. God, I thought if I end up homeless without a plan and I fell apart in front of them they would just be so scared. Plus I don't want to make my husband feel like a failure. So I have to stay positive even in the darkest hour to spare my family any more pain than needed, I always listen to that song 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' by Simon and Garfunkel. It gets me through sometimes."

A year ago, Debbie's life was a lot more like yours and mine. She and her husband, Randy, didn't make much money, but both had jobs and earned enough to provide for the basics and then some. They'd never been in deep debt or on welfare. Debbie's several grown children struggled financially and still do, but had lives of their own; save for one, a daughter, now nearly twenty, who is physically and mentally disabled as the result of open-heart surgery as a child. She is still dependent on Debbie. Debbie also raises one of her grandchildren, an eleven-year-old boy. Together the four of them would do simple, inexpensive things together, like spend a weekend at the beach. Next weekend, they might be living at the beach.

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Comments

[kirkland]

10:20 AM on 09/27/2008

I am wondering is most of America believes this is an anomaly. It is not. In my state that are tons of people who *couch surf* ( moving from one friends couch to another ) and most are middle aged and/or disabled. All have and continue to vigorously pursue employment yet have not been successfull. ( one 52 year old woman was told by her attorney who works probono for her in an unrelated matter told her that *she was too old * most likely to be hired. Or , that her back surgeries ( even tho she has taught pilates , fully recovered) appeared on her " MIB record "and she was elininated from ANY job for that reason. The disabled or the middle aged have been struggling with what Debbie faces in CT for a decade. ( as housing costs sky rocketed and wages fell, jobs dissapeared ) . I get a tad outraged that Debbie story might inspire empathy while our country has forsaken a certain segement of the population. For years.
That said- I hope that some benevolent person steps up to help Debbie NOW . Statistics readily show that once you move out of housing? It's nearly impossible to re-enter housing w/o major assistance.
My heart aches for the Vets who are returning with PTSD. They will find themselves unemployable by the liability centered private sector which will impede their recovery and increase their despair. As well as preventing their ability to aquire safe housing.

[Yellowbird]

07:39 PM on 09/26/2008

There are stories like Debbie's in every state. I have intimate knowlege of her circumstances, having spent a year homeless in my car during the Reagan era, and a year homeless in my car again during the Bush ONE era.

So this isn't new. It's particularly sad when the people getting kicked out are older than 55. Nobody will hire them, too young for their social security, no medical insurance until they qualify for social security, they are at a survival loss and nobody gives a damn because they don't have kids anymore.

We have adopted one family like this to help and we pay their groceries, gasoline, utilities, and anything that comes along that can cause them to miss (another) car payment or house payment.

They are in foreclosure for 2 missed payments, and we got a legal group to renegotiate with their lender. So right now they're in limbo.

We found the legal help by calling our Senator.

Will someone in Florida PLEASE ADOPT DEBBIE'S FAMILY?

We are tapped.

[Luckypenny]

07:35 AM on 09/30/2008

I wish I could help, But only have enough to keep myself going, Please if anyone with the means can help Debbie please do so. I know what it is like I was there once myself and people come to my aid so please find in your heart to help Debbie

[starrianna]

07:21 PM on 09/26/2008

One of my friends, a divorced 38-year old woman who has one child and three adopted children who have disabilities, is going to be homeless as of the end of this month.

Her ex-husband helped bring her credit score down to 520, which is too low to buy any kind of property, even though she earns $7800/month taking care of needy children.

The 5 bedroom house she and her children have been renting has been sold to a rich developer, so she is being evicted with nowhere to go. She has desperately applied for 28 (!) different homes to rent in her city, and been rejected 28 times.

She may have to move into someone's garage with her 4 children just to get by.

[sewbettie]

06:34 PM on 09/26/2008

good luck debbie! i'm sorry for your hard times.

[stangle]

06:28 PM on 09/26/2008

this picture was taken on my friends porch.

[heal57]

05:12 PM on 09/26/2008

Amricans should get a bailout, not AIG. This is disgraceful. I blame BOTH political parties. We must change the system.

[booker52]

04:27 PM on 09/26/2008

How sad, no one knows how close they are to being on the street, or in this case their car.

[RJII]

03:55 PM on 09/26/2008

mccain has more than nine houses (probably empty) and I'm about to lose my one and only. I pray for ya debbie.

[Tulka2]

03:51 PM on 09/26/2008

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee."

[greekdance]

03:08 PM on 09/26/2008

Not to politicize this but imagine what the trillions being thrown at the Iraq war could be doing for us at home. My thoughts are with you Debbie. I know your strength will continue.

[ktalavera]

02:48 PM on 09/26/2008

Thanks to readers like you and sites like this, a miracle has happened already since this story hit today. One donor to help Debbie has come forward, but more are needed. If interested in giving, no amount is too small. Contact me at [e-mail] and I'll tell you how.

[emiliar]

01:44 PM on 09/26/2008

With the current economic situation, I fear this type of story is going to become more and more common.

[Lucille]

11:31 AM on 09/26/2008

My God, I hope someone comes to their rescue. I pray that God will send an angel to help them. It's amazing that we are all a few weeks away from total destruction. We are willing to work but its so hard to find a job and an affordable place to live. The upside for Debbie is that she has her husband, handicapped daughter, and grandson with her. Many people find themselves all alone in similar circumstances.

Truly, I hope a miracle happens for them.

[Luckypenny]

07:39 AM on 09/30/2008

Please if anyone can or they have the means to please help Debbie, I was once in her shoes until some helped me. I wish I could offer something but have just enough to keep myself going.