What a day

I'll start this post with some adorable homeschoolers from a Facebook post five years ago when we thought Covid was a bad thing. Now we know it was an appetizer. 

What a day.  It was my day for our church charity office and I had 10 clients in four hours. 

I had families who had rent increases and can't afford them. I had families unable to pay the balances on their utility bills. I had a family who used paychecks to pay for their dad's funeral and can't pay bills.

I had a single dad with an 8 year old whose 20 year old daughter moved in with 2 toddlers. She doesn't work. He changed jobs and had a paycheck gap.

I had a young man whose employer had a 3 week shutdown. They are back to work and switching their payroll software so it will be three more weeks before he gets a check.  His rent is due.

I had a woman whose rental house burnt down due to faulty wiring the day after she paid rent for this month. Her full time job cut her hours this fall so she lost healthcare. She has picked up a 8 hour a month housekeeping job, a 1 hour a week cleaning job at a gym and is a substitute lunch lady on call in addition to her nursing home job. 

I had a woman whose hours at a restaurant were cut to 15 hours per week. 

I had lady who is in her mid-60's, but working 35 hours a week at Walmart. She makes about $100 less a month than her bills on a good day. She is afraid to file for social security because she will be penalized for working and have less spendable income. I am not an expert on that. 

I had a family that needed a past balance electric bill paid to move into an apartment. 

I had an interesting couple in their fifties. He recently quit a job (where my husband worked) of 28 years to start a construction business. It is slower than expected and he needs $1200 to fill his propane tank and $300 to keep his electric on.  Interesting because it was hard to get straight answers, he left a very high paying job where he could have retired at 60 with a good pension, and his wife doesn't work. Looking at the mortgage they have had for 20 years, I am guessing we refinanced at some point. It isn't adding up. 

I saw an automotive plant near us is laying off next month. 

And I accidentally turned on the tv and ICE has shot two people in Portland. 

Another grandchild (the one who was here on Tuesday) has tested positive for Influenza A.

This is not a good day.