Amy's story

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with a bright young lady, in her mid 20's, who, with her bright blue eyes, dirty blonde locks, and pretty as pie smile, could have fit in almost anywhere in America, big city club, or hometown hang out.  Sadly, Amy's story is not so happy as that, though it is becoming quite common.  You see, Amy has had her life turned upside down and inside out by economic hardships, and aid systems that have failed completely.  Now, in all fairness, Amy is an old friend of mine, who I hadn't heard from in some time, and happened to run back into.  Her story however, is sad and all too familiar.

Amy is 26, and a single mother of a four year old little boy, who is her light and joy.  She has not seen him in months, when she lost her apartment for lack of work.  She had been working at a busy retail store, and enjoyed her job, her co-workers, and the life she led.  As the economic fall worsened, the company she worked for was forced to cut hours repeatedly, and soon Amy was working 15 or so hours a week, instead of 35 to 40.  Bills started to pile up, she was relying on family and friends for help, and childcare (finding a sitter was expensive), and the problems were starting.

"I tried and tried and tried to find a job.  First it was that I didn't yet have college.  Then well, it's frustrating when no one ever calls you back.  You just apply and apply, talk to manager after manager, and wait.  You never hear back and you never know.  It gets to the point where you wonder if it's even worth trying anymore."

Soon, she had to give up her car, and then, her apartment management gave her the choice to go, or face eviction.  No one she knew had room for her and her son, though her mother offered to take care of the child, so at least he would be spared the experience.  For months she tried to find work, bouncing from couch to couch as she could, shelters or the street when she couldn't.

"My first night on the street, I didn't sleep.  I was scared to death.  I found great hiding spots, but I was always afraid someone knew them, and I would wake up to being raped."  her words soft, looking down, almost like she was ashamed to admit her fears.

Eventually, she heard from an old friend of her father, who lived several hours away, but was a lead on a demolition crew for a renovation contractor.  He told her if she could get there, he could use her as a laborer, when he had work.  He also told her he could let her sleep sometimes at his house, but only when he didn't have his kids, as his ex wife would try to use it against him.

"It's really nice of him, I get to stay there at least three nights a week, more on the weeks he doesn't get them weekends.  Sometimes one of the other guys will let me use their couch, or a porch.  It's hard here, I don't know many people, and I am still always worried someone will find me."

She goes on to admit she sometimes sleeps at the sites they work, figuring them safer than the streets.  She says she has woken up once, to find someone there, and that she ran.

"I was terrified, I didn't know why they were there, and I don't know if he was going to hurt me or not, but I was too scared to find out, so I ran.  I ran until I couldn't run any more, and then I just curled up in bushes and cried myself back to sleep.  In the morning, it took me a while to figure out where I was."

She tries to find someone with a phone every night to call her son, talk to him and tell him goodnight.  She misses him, and plans to save up for an apartment.

"I filed for help, you know, food stamps and all.  They give me some help with food, which helps a lot, but they told me that the HUD list is so long, it could be years before I see anything.  I tried some churches, but they just send me to HUD.  I just want help to get a place, so I can get my son back.  I miss him so much.  It hurts, he's the only reason I go on most days."

She had to go then, and I was really sad.  I remember this girl from years ago, bright, smiling, full of life and hope.  Back then she hoped to go to college, maybe become a teacher.  Now, she just wants a little help and a chance at life again.