I discovered that Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs explained what happened during homelessness. Although psychologists are horrified that very young people are trying to take the model too literally, I found it to be relevant. The lower levels of the hierarchy include Food, Shelter, and Security. Most of a person's energy is needed for survival tasks whenever any of those lower levels are affected. The tasks include fitting in with the shelter's rules, fixed meal and residence schedules, and finding places where you are welcome to stay during the day, during inclement weather or holidays. This leaves less energy and resources to spend on higher levels in the hierarchy.
I was encouraged to develop a plan to get out of the shelter, but found a high plateau that I had to overcome to do that. Limited welfare support payments, higher than normal rents and transportation costs, and higher meal costs keep people locked into the system. Government sponsored agencies cannot supply all of the needs, as they claim that it is not within their mandate. Most of the agencies are the same, including those that are part of government and those private ones.
I was frequently confused about when to submit the welfare report card, whether to hold it until month-end just in case an employer hired, or to send it in earlier. Government case workers were too quick to close the case file, and there was a waiting or delay period to get it reopened. Some intake workers refused to accept the situation the client was in, stating that there were plenty of jobs. Many of the jobs advertised pay too low to afford rent, and a lot of them are duplicates of the same position rather than separate jobs. Many demanded qualification papers which I do not have, even though I am capable of doing the work. (One government employee gave me a very derogatory response when I told him I could do the work without going through a trades apprenticeship program, as he had done.)
Several months later, after attending numerous courses on resume writing, interviews, and job applications, I was informed that Calgary is a networking city when it comes to employment. Who you know is more important than what you know. Which is all very well for some personality types, but not for this INTP.
I wished to re-enter and continue in the computer career that I have been in for 30 years. But I found that it was an uphill battle convincing government support agencies that I needed upgrade training. After I finally got approval for training, I was held off for another 9-10 months because the educational institution had "insufficient enrollment" for the program. There is a problem that educational institutions do not offer what is needed at the time that it is needed. Plus those agencies that do offer training at the right time, only offer training for entry-level positions, which is not a suitable match for persons with previous experience.
Although I am able to learn the information that is offered in courses on my own, potential emloyers will not accept that. They want to see the wallpaper from educational institutions, even if it not worth the paper that it is printed on.
The government-subsidized apartment allowed me to follow a plan to upgrade my education and get re-employed. However, an over-controlling landlord and her equally ignorant supervisor interrupted my occupancy by refusing to renew my lease. This in turn interrupted the employment recovery plan, and left me in a very vulnerable hardship situation during a recession that was not of my doing.
Therefore, lower levels of Maslow's Heirarchy were not met, I became homeless again, with uncertainty of where I can live. Everything in life other than basic survival is on hold again. I am uncertain about the future, and the economy and recession and cheap employers do not help.
Additionally, while I was declared to be as physically fit as a 20-year-old 3 years ago, my health has now degraded to the point where I have Diabetes type 2, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. When I was referred to a nutritionist for diet information, I realized that it would cost me 4 times what I was paying for my previous diet, and that does not include the price for medications. So maybe that is the solution to my problem, a drastically shortened life span, with no medical plan to support me.
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Value in education converted to practicality always leaves much to be desired, even if only theoretical in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteDetermining the quality of life is often quite challenging when health and other circumstances seem to get in the way, of course.
So, if there is any consolation or hope that I could leave, it would be to make small changes that will eventually bring about other options or results, especially with prayer and deliberate action.
Although life is not easy, fortunately, change will hopefully become more manageable. Finding inner peace and with respect to one's course of action, even with seemingly insurmountable circumstances, can make a difference.
Having not been homeless myself, I do understand and know what it is like to be sick and ill.
The prisons of the mind and body can become a source of depression and despair. When I feel this way, I find that I can always do something like pray, read good books, and talk to friends that will help me to feel better and that life is worth living.
Having a supportive family member or friend can make a huge difference and extend one's life with abundance and meaningful joy.
I would just like to say to Aaron that it is not easy for those that are homeless to use the comfort and support of friends when you are homeless. If it was that easy, dont you think there would be less homeless. This is coming from someone who is homeless.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I would like to thank all of the people who have had the courage to share their experiences and stories with the public. So often it seems like the media talks about the large issue of homelessness without dealing with individual lives. Newspapers and politicians provide statistics, and sometimes it feels like the homeless are viewed as numbers instead of real people with hopes, dreams, and fears. Thank you for reminding us all that the issue of homelessness is not one of public policy. It’s an issue of humanity.
ReplyDeleteTo Aaron: I have read several of your comments, and I have to say that I find them insulting and condescending. If the issue was so simple that it could be remedied with prayer groups, good books, and family time, no one would be forced to live in poverty. Many people are homeless because of situations that are beyond their control. The situation is one that calls for compassion rather then judgement.
Thank you to the anonymous writers, I agree that Aaron is to critical,, and maybe he should try living in a shelter for a week himself to understand a little better of what it is like to be homeless
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