out on the street, no home to call their own

Nurses Activism

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

This story hit my gut hard. Public housing threw these people out on the street In January. Mom hasn't worked in 18 months.why I don't know. but 4 children are slleeping in one bed in a borrowed motel room. The two girls won their spelling bee Saturday, look at those beaming faces. One was asked is she found $100 on the street what would she do? She said "I'd send it to Haiti."

http://www.postandcourier.com/photos/galleries/2010/jan/31/honors-and-hardship/

I can't see anything RIGHT about this story. Where is child protective services? Where are people's brains??Charleston_County_Spelling_Bee1009_r175x200.jpg?b5bb8115feea9bebdb61a6e391d0fc3b346ab708lewis4_t620.jpg?fbf2daa044e08a86b24c9c38cd7501865a0e2373

In 18 degree weather!

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Awww...., are they shutting public housing down? They are in my city.

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Specializes in LTC Family Practice.

This is happening all across America, I haven't worked in now 19 months, and it's not for trying. I've got great skills besides nursing and I've had one interview in a year. Mom has probably run out of her unemployment benefits as many of us have or will soon. I've even tried fast food joints, Walmart etc. they won't hire people who are considered "over qualified" and will leave when they get a better opportunity.

There are many MILLIONS of unemployed and just as many have lost their housing. That mom and her children are lucky to have at least a hotel room to go to. I'm not sure what you think child protective services would do? Take them away from their mother who like millions have fallen on hard times? The children appear well fed and if they won a spelling bee, mom sure is doing a good job with those kids under dire circumstances.

It is indeed a sad story, repeated on a daily basis across the USA

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Not take the kids away, but at least provide food stamps, housing or something. As it is various teachers are paying for the motel on a daily basis. It won't last as it's in a resort area and soon as spring break comes no more motel.

Mom is so depressed she won't get out of bed. This is America, people shouldn't have to live like this anywhere!

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It takes some doing, though, to be evicted from public housing. SOmething is missing from this story.

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It takes some doing, though, to be evicted from public housing. SOmething is missing from this story.

Not sure about where they are, but there are a lot of places just shutting down the public housing. There was a motel (probably like the one they're staying at) that got shut down here for code violations, leaving all the people that are already down on their luck out on the streets. Mom's definitely doing something right, with the kids excelling in school and thinking more about others than themselves. At least they still have a roof over their heads, even if it is a motel room roof. Hope good things come their way soon.

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Oh, I wish them well.

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

i know people like this. i think the girls may be smarter than their mother. or it could be depression.

...she'd been late on paying her housing authority fees 10 out of the last 12 months, and january was no different.

but this time, the housing authority didn't let the late payment slide because she'd broken another rule by allowing a relative, an accused drug dealer, to visit the property, the head of the housing authority said. anikia insisted that wasn't the case, but her plea made no difference.

housing officials said her family would have to leave its apartment by jan. 20. anikia didn't pack or try to find another place to go because she didn't believe they'd actually throw her out. ...

..."i don't know what to do," she said. "all i can do is pray."...

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/jan/31/honors-and-hardship/

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Follow up from the Charleston Paper

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/feb/02/residents-reach-out-to-family/

I want to restate that I wasn't making reference to their not paying-they should have, BUT if you can't cut off power and gas in extreme weather conditions, by LAW, then you shouldn't be able to put people out on the street in the same conditions.

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Specializes in LTC Family Practice.

I'm so glad they are getting help. A single mom with 4 kids and she's seems to be doing a really good job under a stressful situation.

Unfortunatly this story is repeated across the country on a daily basis. There are millions of us who are unemployed and either have run out or will run out of unemployment benefits soon. According to a variety of news services there are anywhere from 500-1000 applicants for each job. I've recently applied for two jobs at the county offices both of which I'm qualified for and according to the clerk there are already 1500 applicants for each of the jobs.

I'd move but that costs money I don't have, many are in the same boat.

Again, I'm glad this family is getting help from the community.

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