I have a close friend who has fallen on hard times. She was working two jobs and barely getting by on the income from those two jobs. She was laid off from both jobs within 3 months of each other. She is a single mother and has two young children and can't get any assistance from their father. I won't go into that except for to say that he has had no income for over a year. She has been collecting unemployment and seeking employment for the last 2 months. Any job she has found will pay less then her unemployment is giving her and to accept one of those jobs would further worsen her situation. I give her all the financial assistance I can but times have gotten hard for me recently also and I haven't been able to do enough. Needless to say she has fallen behind on some of her utility expenses. JCP%26amp;L sent her a shut off notice and on top of the two months that she owed they added an additional $500 that they claim is a security deposit. Now they are demanding $600+ or they will shut off her electric. We have both called them and explained her situation and asked how they expect her to come up with an additional $500 when she is having a hard enough time paying the $200 a month. We asked if there is any installment plan that could be worked out. They said there is but the $600+ must be paid before the even consider that. She went to a church and the Open Door agency to apply for assistance to pay the bill. Both places told her that she does not make enough money and they are not able to help her. The actually accused her of lying about her income and would not listen to her when she explained about the financial assistance I give her. I can't understand how groups that are put in place to help people in financial need refuse to help those who need the help the most but that is besides the point.
The information I am hoping to get here is if anyone can give me advice or tell me where to look to get her the help she needs to get her back on her feet again.|||There are people, sorry to say, in worse shape than she is. Charities have so many demands now that there is nowhere near enough to help the most desperate cases: the disabled and elderly who are incapable of working and have no family to help them.
Her electric bill is ridiculous and she needs to manage that much more effectively. She has no choice but to reduce her expenses and get a job. Turning down any job offer is grounds for termination from unemployment and bar to future benes.
You've already contacted the power company and the charities. She has to take care of this herself. "Helping" her may have been hurting her if she has not made any strides toward reducing her costs, increasing her income, and taking more personal responsibility for herself and her children. Making someone dependent is not helpful.
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