Just bc im on welfare doesnt mean I have to look poor

sunshine5

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 2:26 pm

Thank you Eden Strong for taking my thoughts and putting pen to paper an describing exactly what life on welfare is like. Unfortunately I can feel your pain since I too am judged unfairly an unreasonably.

Blessing1

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 4:45 pm

Well I don't have any programs at all & I look more poor then my friends of welfare, food stamps, Medicaid. In a way I am more poor cause I pay out of pocket for everything they get from the state & stay with almost nothing for extras. And they seem to be having those extras.
Just saying......

MagentaYenta

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 5:07 pm

Blessing1 wrote:

Walk a mile in there shoes. I carry Coach bags that I purchased used during better times. I wear brand name clothing because I'm a great thrift store shopper.

sunshine5

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 5:11 pm

Ther will always be those that will milk th system. Most people don't, including the author and myself. Not all Jews are dirty and no all blacks are thieves.
I thing we learnt from our unfortunate situation is to be others favorably. Sometimes the hand me downs are too" better" for us and I'm embarrassed to use it because we FOR SURE took advantage o tzedaka money or discounted tuition when in truth we had to endure the embarrassment of getting these undeserved clothes to our doorstep.
With that said, I fully understand those who are earning "Too Much" to the qualified for assistance , and way too little t survive. At least you aren't judged by move you do.

amother

Amber

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 5:13 pm

Ok, as someone who works in a hospital with lots of patients on medicare I find this post funny. We are much happier with patients that have insurance than the uninsured. We can't turn anyone away from ER so medicaid is a step up. I think she suffers from anxiety due to her humiliation at needing assistance. I think her feelings on this are very much perceived. And I'm also someone who lives with less than my friends on welfare because when you pay your way in life it's much more expensive and harder to afford things and you don't qualify for the free ballet lessons at the ymca because you make way too much. Before it's all deducted from your paycheck.

nywife

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 7:19 pm

No, being on welfare does not mean you have to look poor. But it does mean that if you look rich people may judge you.

I am not eligible for any programs, my husband & I work our butts off and still cannot afford brand name clothes and expensive bags.

While intellectually I know that just because someone drives a nice car it does not mean they have a loaded bank account, I do admit to feeling a pang of resentment and yes, even jealousy, when women load expensive groceries into their bugaboos to pay for with their Medicaid cards.

Not judging anyone, just saying how I feel.

sourstix

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 7:55 pm

[quote="nywife"] [b]But it does mean that if you look rich people may judge you. [/b]

in one part of your post you say that people will judge you and then you say I dont judge. its contradictory.

as jews we ought to not judge. pp have so many difficulties its really a shame that after all the stories we heard how pp explain how they have this that or the other. and the whole picture changes. and we say aha... and feel stupid that we judged.

being that I have gone through some stuff in my life, I can definitely tell you that I struggle with that too. but its incumbent on all of us jews and mature women to see that there is more to the story.

its useless to judge. sometimes when I hear of stories and know the things in my life of my experiences and I think do these pp really want the "whole package"?

yes gotta take the whole package if you want some of the stuff. take the good and the bad.

smss

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 9:09 pm

nywife wrote:

Medicaid cards do not pay for groceries. Wink

Blessing1

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 9:11 pm

In my opinion we have the full right to judge people living a seemingly luxurious life on welfare when we literally live from paycheck to paycheck. I'm sure many people get hand me downs & shop at thrift shops, but not everyone does. My friend takes expensive vacations cause she literally doesn't pay for anything. Has sec. 8 for rent, vouchers for tuition, & all otjer programs, so of course she can afford it.
This is sadly the truth in many chassidish communities.
And don't get me started on those that own houses on section 8....
& we're supposedly rich & still renting.
So yes there is plenty a reason to judge.
They say middle class people have it the hardest financially.

amother

Rose

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 9:12 pm

smss wrote:

Medicaid cards do not pay for groceries. Wink

Actually the Medicaid card doubles as a Foodstamp card so it technically does.

amother

Purple

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 9:17 pm

amother wrote:

Actually the Medicaid card doubles as a Foodstamp card so it technically does.

It probably depends what state. At one point we were eligible for both, then later just Medicaid not food stamps. Two different cards though.

amother

Goldenrod

Wed, Jan 20 2016, 10:30 pm

Life is funny. Dh has been in kollel for almost 12 years. I have 3 kids and my take home pay is 4400$ a month in brooklyn. I live in a small 3rd floor apartment with cheap rent. We are not eligible for any programs (never were) and we were never ever supported!

We do stretch the dollar and dh knows how to get really nice clothes for really great prices. He looks put together. I have a SIL who gives me expensive designer clothing for my son. Dh has a name in yeshiva for being "rich".
I guess if you work on the books and cant get medicaid you are rich. People have said it to him on more than one occasion???.

I cant quite fathom how we are rich but people seem to think so... people just like to think they know best.

Iymnok

Thu, Jan 21 2016, 3:24 am

Salvation Army
Goodwill
Value Village

These are thrift stores, there are many more. You can find very nice clothing for a couple dollars apiece. Sometimes with the original tags still on. The trick is to go to the ones in affluent neighborhoods. Very valuable for boys pants that get worn out quickly. Many even have furniture and bikes.