Welcome to Poverty Hollow

Look closely as you drive by. Surrounded by beauty. And weather beaten farms and struggling farm towns across America. One in seven rural families are raising their children in poverty. I call my car my rolling where I grew up on a farm. So I'm basically pretty mechanically inclined. Being low income you've got to make every dime go as far as you can make it go. A little thing like that could make a difference in what you feed your kids not. Kids never have anything. There's never anything to eat in this house in blue America. Poverty is private and the consequences of social policy critical to those who find themselves among America's growing underclass. Many work full time but still live below the poverty line. Every day I dread going to work but if I leave just one other sucker. You know. What I feel whole because I've got three kids and in

a beautiful home. In northwest Wisconsin. The federal poverty projects hold full circle aided and assess the progress of low income families. This is the story of three of those families and how they fared during a time when welfare reform changed the social landscape of America. Welcome to poverty. I. Never intended. To. End up getting a divorce and. Being. Where I am. Now. It's changed. Everything. Barbara Pigman was a rural housewife all her life until she and her husband lost their farm and their 17 year marriage fell apart.

And I wasn't going to. Stand for it anymore. Some things that. Were going on when he would drink. And. So that's why. We separated. Standing here right now looking at the future pretty dim because of financial situations. Boyd Pigman now lives in a rented house outside Glenwood city in northwest Wisconsin. He's working often on as a mechanic. Already have bad. Guys. Boyd visits the children almost every day at Barb's house in the city. I love my kids and I want my kids to grow up with their dad at home. The older ones. Understand what's going on but yet it's still hard on them. The younger ones I don't think even understand what's going on they just know that. Dad's home and who all of a sudden Dad is not home.

He's struggling to pay for child support in two separate households on his mechanic's salary. He also spends a lot of money on alcohol. I've had. Three different D-W eyes and been through treatment for it three times. And. I still drink. Sometimes I drink more than I should. And he's. Still. In. Denial thing. I. I'm not. An alcoholic. I can still go to work even if I drink till 5 in the morning and go to drug court. I mean I don't know. That. I don't have a problem you have a problem. It's time. Again. I don't think I even see them on the card of what they feel. I've had three of them. Three of them and you know. Plus I was crying like I needed somebody to comfort me and I was still supposed to have dancers and the words to comfort them.

With only occasional child support from Boyd Barb turned to AFDC more aid for families with dependent children she now receives a monthly check for about $800 along with food stamps and health care for her kids. She needs you to. Hear back from Cheryl what about the boys with the genders if left on her own it's likely BB will stay on welfare for years. But today and Cohanim comes by on her weekly visit to Barbes home in an attempt to keep her off the poverty treadmill. BB first called full circle because her daughter Leanne was not speaking as well as she should. For her age. The way I was dealing with things I wasn't paying much attention to her I was just

doing what I had to. Do as far as. Meeting her real needs. But it was. Interacting with her and to Haneke works her full circle of family development project in northern Wisconsin is always free. Full circle connects families with community services and makes weekly visits that offer one on one support. Have you heard back from Cheryl. OK and we'll connect BB with the services and schooling she needs to ease her out of Iraq and into self-reliance. I don't think so. She's been a real good friend. Good to listen to my. Problems. I look forward to her coming. Out here in a rural community. The tradition. Was.

That people help people neighbors help neighbor you were. Never alone. And if somebody had a problem or a tragedy everybody pitch in and help. That's really no different except we have to do it on a larger scale because anybody can be poor. It can happen to anybody. Joan lover full circles director says the project is a new take on an old fashioned neighborly tradition. We go into their homes. As opposed to having them come to a sterile environment environment and feel like nine zillion forms. It's very difficult you can get lost in a system like that lost in the woods. I was lost in those woods. I'm a former FDIC recipient myself. You know it's very humiliating to have to go and grovel for services to be judged to be criticized to be desperate to be in a position

where you have a child who needs $1 for a school event and you don't have that dollar. So I know what it feels like to come out and see you sometime within the next month. So. Full circle provides poor children with what they need to succeed. And Lauber believes that what kids need to succeed rich or poor are families that function to promote the well-being of the child. You can't ignore parents. You can't ignore the family. Of that child. We have a poster in our office that says that the intellect. And the emotions allow. And what that means is that if you're frightened if you're terrorized if you don't know how you're going to get from one day to the next you can't learn and learning is really what this whole project is about to get able to pass. She. Do. It. She did. Did you do something with her then. No I

was just kind of a bad day yesterday. Barb's latest crisis arrived in the mail Barb learned that her monthly welfare check had been cut off. She had failed to file some new paperwork on time. I told her. So last night she said so when do they turn off the electricity. I just said I don't know. I can go get a job. I know. I can probably get a job today. It ain't going to pay much. Then I'm going to have to pay somebody to watch my kids while I go to this job. That's why the last couple days had been so light. Well it don't matter. Maybe I should just go. In my life and in my kids life and I don't have to worry about feeding them you know just be done.

Give me a call. Just to check how you're doing. You. To. Spend her time coaching BB on how to solve her problems. Day by day crisis by crisis one small step at a time. What we do is we just keep coming back. No matter what happens. We're going to have a great weekend. We come back. When we come back. We don't. Transform and pretty soon I've got to say that I can count on us and depend on us. And that's the trust building that's the most important piece. It's. All it takes is love for something that's all that. Somebody. And people can do magical things they can do. And I think that's what we do. Poverty is no stranger in America over 10 million people are

now among the rural poor. Wisconsin alone has been losing three farms everyday in small towns like Glenwood city with farm based economies are showing the strain. Across the landscape of rural America. One in seven families now live well below the poverty line. About $15000 for a family of four. Low wages and less education have created a new class of American families known as the working poor. I was a troubled teen Unico and I spent probably six years of my teenage life jumping from institution to institution.

I mean your teenage years are supposed to be their responsibility carefree you know having a good time. I was in the 6:53 room or whatever most of it Larry riem and his fiance Amy Mertens lived together in a rented trailer near Glenwood city. They just had their third baby a boy named Evan. This year. Amy has been living on an off welfare in-between low wage jobs. Larry runs a wood saw at a furniture factory. I don't like to go to work every day. I dread going to work. It's not hard. It just is nowhere. Nowhere and I going to be nowhere. And I know it and they know it. But if I leave I'll just hire another sucker. You. Know. But I feel whole because I've got three kids and they're beautiful. You know. The couple also have a three year old daughter named Andrea and Amy's older son Curtis is 5. Amy dropped out of high school after she became pregnant and soon found herself in the welfare cycle.

Yeah it is. For me it's been that a cycle of vicious cruel evil cycle. But still a cycle. Amy's last job was on a computer company assembly line. She was only there a few months when she became sick to her climb to independence ended in another fall. I'd end up having. Gallbladder problems. So I had to go and have surgery so I ended up. Losing my job because of that because I wasn't there long enough for them to give me a vacation because of it. Or sick leave. Basically I was only there for three months. That's why I had to go back to see his medical. Coverage. Larry took on fatherhood at age 19 when he met Amy and became a dad to Curtis. Who knows who his real father is and he sees him as you know it's who I am. He calls me dad. I like that. I mean I love kids. I wouldn't have him. Have you noticed. Differences in his career. Yes ma'am.

Telescreens. Amy joined full circle shortly after Curtis was born every week for the last five years. Nurses and outreach workers have been helping her become a better parent. Questions right now. Was. Is pretty much what be put. In. A whole. The whole thing. In your arms. Just having somebody there to support you. Mentally emotionally makes a big difference. I don't really have that as far as being with my parents. My mom tried really hard. My dad drank like a fish. So I mean basically my mom raised us. My dad was usually there. She did her best. We spent a. Lot of time raising this. Also one thing I really want to stress is you getting your rest. Is her. You know. Her. Baby. All. The. Time. That. She.

Time. With encouragement and daycare money from full circle. Amy decided to get her high school diploma at a local church school. I want to go to college. I want Larry to go to college. Let's just keep one or both of us. Did you. Feel like much. Hi there. I'd like to go to school and get you know a career. But there are so many things to do I mean that wouldn't have anything with me or with the kids or I'd still have to worry. I'm worn down and you know working overtime in the summer. Without full circle. The family would have gone into a tailspin when Amy lost her job. We would have been thousands of dollars by the end of three months and that takes me out to take me forever to get out of making what I make. That was real hard because you're always fighting for money. I mean you know. Tension.

Gets. A lot of parents don't understand. What their kids. Feel. How their kids feel. Especially parents on. Welfare. Because they're so busy worrying about what they're going into next month. To pay the bills because they don't have enough money to support themselves. They're so worried about it that. Their kids are shut out. I know too my son was very angry. And. Very angry child. But he found out why. I ignored him. And amping up attention to him. I was too busy worrying about bills and money and. What everybody else was going to think. And then I started working with Jean she's on a project. And she helped me a lot. With. Understanding his anger. Man on bus isn't that I think a lot of the abuse that goes on would change if people knew how to change it.

Yes us. The project provided a low interest loan to tide them over and counseling to help them handle the stress. Basically some foster full circle has been helping us with budgeting. It's made up. Big debt. And we don't fight anymore. You know we don't have a reason to and we've come a long way but we have a lot further to go. Amy's goal is to find a job that provides health care for her entire family right now. AFDC covers her and the kids but not every couple of years ago he had had something. I don't know what it is but he passed out a couple times. I think it was just a blood sugar drop. I think it was. But still it's scary anyway because you don't have any health care. And if if it was something serious we couldn't afford to pay for it. Faced with an overtired overworked. Underfed. And it just took a toll on him.

Just a little bit. I've been sick for weeks you know I can do it. I get older. I don't break any bones or anything. No pain. I've been on unemployment since June. What little hero I have left. Yes. I feel like tearing it up. You know just so frustrated from all we hear about glass ceilings for women. Well all you want was glass ceilings for middle aged men to Larry Remes worst nightmare has become Greg Miller's life. An ex marine turned carpenter Greg hurt is back on the job. He's permanently disabled and spends most days at home looking for a job

and watching their three kids while his wife Julie. You know I love my kids. I like being around them have time to spend with them but 24 hours a day seven days a week it's real world and you wind up short tempered knowing kids and it's not their fault. Forty nine years old with Brumback is kind of like walking in and say I got leprosy and tuberculosis and I want to go to work in your hospital emergency room. It is too strong. You're over that age barrier and everybody's scared to death of somebody with a bad bad. Like Larry and Amy the Millers were working poor even before Greg was disabled. They've never relied on welfare but do receive food stamps to help feed the

kids. Full circle provided daycare money. So Greg and Julie could retrain Julie chose to go to college first day of biologia left there in tears. How strange. It still feels strange. I don't have any self confidence low self-esteem and family specialists. Make me feel good about yourself just by helping you look at things differently. I have a technology class I have to take a foreign language. I have another financial management course I have to teach. Julie is now a senior studying to become a chef. She's taking a full load of credits and working full time at a local restaurant. It is a grueling schedule. I mean.

I have. Been under a lot of stress and learned. A lot of hours and I'm not getting my schoolwork done. Great. Yes. When you get the girl back. Well I think we can handle. Greg also went back to school. He retrained to be a mechanical draftsman but without experience hasn't been able to land a job. He misses being a carpenter. I was having a problem with. Acute clinical depression and didn't really realize it at the time. I literally became a prisoner. Of my own doing. I had newspapers and magazines. Her table was stacked up to about this height that little slut here I could see my wife a little slut here I could see the TV and little path that I could get up and get in and out the cordless phone TV remote control newspapers. Then I just kept withdrawing more and more and more and finally it was it got to the point where

Julie was going to take the kids and leave me and go to her mom's to live because she couldn't stand it anymore. And says you know you got to do something about it or we're out here full circle held Greg with medical insurance for antidepressants and counseling. This is probably one of the best weapons I have against getting back into the building my little prison again because I'm talkin to grown. Good morning call. Here is going to be Neyens a child name is Greg and location the folks in Wisconsin know where are you this morning. Greg has become a ham radio operator and job hunts on the airwaves. You had a choice. I would love to be doing electrical grafting because I have the electronic school background in the military. That's why I live in huts and my legs go numb in about 25 minutes while I'm driving. So my

safe driving range is 30 minutes after that I'm driving with my feet asleep. Greg bought his ham radio gear at swap meets checking out garage sales as a way to fill his time and provide his family with secondhand finds. We've got a lot of nifty appliances and things that you would find in a middle class or upper middle class home. The difference is I didn't go to the store and buy on my bottom or drug sales out of the people in the store and bought them. The difference is that I paid five bucks for something that they paid 150 or 200 dollars for. If Greg can't find a drafting job he hopes to land an evening shift job at a factory. Even at minimum wage working split shifts with Julie would save daycare fees. The key thing that we always come down to is lack of affordable quality child care. Done. It's one thing to

sit up there in the White House and say we got to have more well-paying jobs for these people. Well you know what's a well-paying job a cautious seven bucks an hour to pay for your day care. That means that you've got to make $15 an hour and seven bucks an hour or eight bucks an hour. You know if we're going to subsidize anything in this country. Let's subsidize our children because our future we want a bill that actually is welfare reform. You can put. Wings on a pig but you don't make it an eagle. We want real welfare reform you know welfare as we've known it is like giving a family a fish every day for a meal. But you know as we all know it's it's more profitable to teach a person how to fish them to keep them dependent on you showing up with the fish. Believe me nobody who is on the Dole thinks that their life was really great because they're getting a check in the mail room.

Most people don't want to be there. They just don't know how to get out of there. Buy early winter Larry Remes life was on a bill got a book turned or Ayers last week. You know 720 7:22 No. I didn't know nothing about it before and just how much. Larry and Amy moved to Cadotte Wisconsin population 1328. They rented a small house near their old trailer court. When you're living in the square that's called. The younger brother Jason had also moved in with them like Larry Jason was a troubled teen with an arrest record that included breaking and entering underage drinking and vandalism. I didn't understand. What he was all about and I spent a lot of time babysitting him because my mom work.

I know what I don't know. I'm just thinking I'll try and take care of another kid. I. Pretty much said some mean stuff and I think if if there wasn't for me then knowing what they were doing. Larry and Amy's main outreach worker for the last five years has been ELIZABETH JACKSON Johnson. I've just enjoyed my time with this family mostly. I've never not known Andrea and I've known Curtis since he was so young that the impact on my life has been tremendous. So I mean I don't think it's certainly hasn't been one sided. We've also had times where we had to delay talks through some things to overcome some barriers and when we got hollered at Elizabeth River we got a little challenge a couple of times but. ALL OF US position where we wanted to be where

we really wanted it to work out. So we did. Amy is job hunting as well as going to school. Like the millers. She and Larry hope they can work split shifts to avoid daycare costs and get the chance to raise their kids themselves. I mean if you have a kid it's supposed to be like joyful and it's part of you. I mean that's one of the things you live for. That's one of the things I live for. I can't understand why anybody would take and. Call somebody lazy because they want to like. Raise their child. My kid is six months old. I'm going to put him in daycare and right away he's already for that daycare thing that's so absurd. I think it's just completely. And people need to pay more attention to their kids. That's what it comes down to because they're going to be all messed up in 20 years. Amy and Larry have only 10 visits left with Elizabeth in March. Amy is scheduled to graduate both from high school and from full circle. Five years is.

A long time. She's not going to come over to me. We have to really look at where you're going to be with wrapping up school or what kind of support you need in place to finish after you've transitioned out. So we have some business that are spending some time. Doing some things and saying goodbye and wrapping things. No we can't do that. That's a hard conversation to have. Elizabeth help Amy and Larry come up with a plan to go to college but they have to find a way to pay for it. School's only four years you know going to school during the day. Our only way we can avoid it because we couldn't afford to pay for day care for three kids. Yes $17. Times Three will be like two hundred ten dollars a week for our kids. I think that's what 70 bucks we week. Two hundred and ten bucks a week. I make $217 from 56 cents.

For every you know full time to working part time. And I've been there for a while I got six years experience so I'm paid better than most of the people there which is a half. State. Well. What can you really do. You know I have no say in the government it's supposed to be we the people run by people for the people and it's not it's the original Elite running the country. I mean they make the decisions and we deal with it. This junk about the minimum wage what the people who. Have these discussions and arguments about should be for $5. Let them try to live on that. People cannot live on it. No one can live on that. You can't deny them opportunities to be parents. Because just because they're poor doesn't

mean it can't be loving nurturing parents and who knows which of these kids isn't going to be president or in Congress. We're going to make some incredible contribution to science or the arts or any of those things that we really need. The winter of 1995 set in early and hard in America's heartland. Talk about the heart of our nation with a presidential election only a year away. Welfare reform emerged early as a campaign issue. And when I say real welfare reform I mean requiring every able bodied welfare recipient to find work within two years or a shorter period of time if the state so desires. My attitude is let's let it rip. This is the plan. Pass this plan through the Congress before you found your. And I will sign. The AFDC funds are only 2 percent of the total federal budget.

45 states were given federal waivers to change AFDC rules in attempts to move poor people off the public dole. We didn't. Wait to see what the other guy would do we started welfare reform in Wisconsin before anybody else was talking about across crisis in Wisconsin Republican Governor Tommy Thompson proposed a new plan called Wisconsin works for WTO. Under W2. Welfare recipients would be required to job hunt full time in order to receive benefits and find jobs within a limited time when their welfare checks would touch people's lives giving families an opportunity to help them make better lives for their children. The plan would remove the welfare safety net for Wisconsin's poor children if their parents did not find work. Mr. President. Indeed welfare is not negotiable.

You think there's a lot of fear out there because everything's changing so quickly and nobody knows what that's going to mean for them and their family as it was before they're seen a lot of things. The baby panda being bandied about by people who really don't understand what it is to live below the poverty line. With Amy's welfare check. Now uncertain Larry kept working overtime and had to miss full

circles Christmas party. So the stress of trying to get everything. For Christmas and the kids one is impossible by. Just. Trying to get something. It's just. A few weeks before Christmas. Boyd Pigman moved back in with Barbin and their kids although he had not quit drinking. He went to the full circle party with. Lots of activities. The food was good. Lots of smiling faces. 14 year old Kevin Pigman now works after school and weekends as a farmhand on a neighbor's farm. Lot of experience. On a farm but. Quit farming and now I've picked up all the things that I probably must. And ought to do almost everything on a farmer's route. I probably don't mind where. I am.

I'm an avid fan and I went to Kansas City. This. Morning two weeks ago. It was pretty fun. Met a lot of people. And loved. What was in. Her. Her name is Jamie. Rose on a farm. Does that sound romantic or what. Get to come and see you Elizabeth. Yeah. Did you make that a list. Since Christmas is often a time of disappointment for children the staff raise donation to buy every child a gift. Money was tight. The project as well as for the families full circle facing federal budget cuts and money from other agencies like star energy assistance was drawing up. Have you been good this year. Yeah. If you write that

letter what do you want. You keep being a good boy and say. It costs between. Eight and ten thousand dollars per year per family. For this particular project which may sound like a lot but the costs are so minimal when you compare it to the class of special education for children who have developmental plans that are left them true that. The. Class. Of Neonatal Intensive Care Bengalese those mothers have not had they don't care. You know what if people have food if people have access to a doctor. Or nurse that treats them with dignity. These are easy. Since. We. Don't. Have. That's. Hard.

I read that. I told you that I had my second interview with three of. You.

Had a nice interview and it went very well in Hudson Greg Miller applied for a nightshift factory job his worker's compensation benefits will run out soon and he needs a job that will cover medical insurance for his family. I have to wait about 10 days before I hear. A long term is. Without work. Depression has been a wolf at his door. Once again. These piles roll my hair growing taller my pile gets more of the warning lights go up that I'm in the depression mode again and I have to make sure that I don't clam up and close. But you know it's relative to how many inches deep the pilot gets. All over. By early spring.

Boyd and Barb Pigman separated again and Boyd seldom paid child support. Barb was required by the new welfare reform laws to job hunt for her welfare benefits. She found a family daycare 20 minutes away from her two youngest child. Subsidized by full service. Barbara has a child or two weeks she has to be working later back to. You for a mad woman. Full. Time mother. Hasn't. Had the opportunity to get the sort of education in terms of a little something that only. Gets. You going to be good to. Get used to this place. Now. I will see you then. OK.

Just to be honest about you too. I hope it works. I hope it's a good program. I really do. I have absolutely no interest in seeing that fail. I would take no pleasure in that because there's too many people's lives at stake. BB must now spend her mornings at the St. Croix job service center in New Richmond about 25 miles from her home. Your Highness is our. Consumer economics. Outdoor work and I would say super skill. You can work in a farm. I don't know if that's what you want to do but shoppers. From down here pay really well for milkers. Or you can maybe get a firm hand where they offer your your. I don't know if you own your home or not. I think offer your housing and possibly some assistance with meat and milk. So not only do you get your free rent and help with your food but you're also getting

paid. Well they always have that and you know pay them postal jobs because I've always thought about. Being a mail carrier. You can get into it but it's a tough occupation to get into because so many people would like that position. I just think you know with me and my kids a $12 an hour job like that be. Perfect pitch. Course that sounds like a dream or whatever for you to go to one or two year training. This is no longer an option. You know Governor Thompson study two program starting July 1st. A clock starts ticking and you are allowed five years 60 months of public assistance and that is it. So it's pretty important decisions that we're making and we're making some life decisions that are you know that in fact you know that are going to affect you down the road too because it's going to be up to you to support your family.

That's going to be a big task. The responsibility of supporting her kids film mostly on Barb's shoulders under the new jobs program non-custodial parents were not required to take part in finding or holding down full time jobs. There you know good. Safety for children is fine. I'm really concerned about that because it's more than just a said on the program. It's a real change in what our country has to offer. What what will on. In the spring of 1996. Larry Reim was fired from the furniture factory.

He blew up at his supervisor after reading a memo about corporate profits. The average profit per employee per year is $160000. And I make like $30000 a year. I mean that's just enough for me. Somebody is making a fortune. That's never the guy. I'm not saying that I deserve it but I deserve more than $30000 a year for what I was given their corporation. You know the whole time I worked there was record sales and production boom boom. And I wasn't personally but I was part of it. I didn't get enough. I mean nobody ever does there. Larry was soon hired for a new factory job that covered his health care but not Amy or the kids though he's starting pay was lowered. He liked the medical benefits. When I'm working busy you know I'm going home. What they could do.

That's our plan is looking at the clock you know. When Amy found out that W-2 requires her to get a full time job. She went off welfare and found a job at a shopping mall 20 miles from Cadotte in order to work. She also quit high school a few weeks before graduation. Now. Since she graduated from full circle in March Amy does not receive any more help with daycare bills and can only afford to work part time. Right now I'm looking at $78 for my day care bill for four days and that's just with Andrea. And even with more bills Larry and Amy finally saved enough money for their wedding and have set a date in June.

My grandma was doing the budget wedding. Everything cheaper for me to get away with it. It's like a different to me. It's just legal. It's like a new start. You know get married. Gotta get that security and get some health insurance some money put away in oil that the American dream white picket fence. On June 8th. Larry and Amy got married in her parents backyard. I don't understand why. Larry. They both kept working. Then another setback. The only daycare center in town lost its funding and shut. Down. Is closing in its rural is closing.

What are my kids going to do for sure. They they're going to heaven. They were cut. By full circle director Joan Rivers says the Remes are now among those she calls the disappeared. But all those people are counted all successes are Castells reduced. Here in Wisconsin but what's happening to all those people we're seeing an increase in our food pantries. Food shelves in our county's. Car the driver's door works. Greg Miller did not get the factory job he wanted with only a few weeks of unemployment benefits left. He began applying at temporary job agencies for work. Greg and Julie's dream is to own their own small business a dessert and coffee shop.

But for now Greg will take any second shift job. He can get. Please be nice. Is trying to get a job by falling in love with Kishan. Business. Please please tough business. I want to be working on anything. These kids are going to grow up see your peers get up in the morning and go to work and do something productive with their day and that's not what you do. It's the fact that you're going out there trying to make a difference trying to make something a little better by contributing your part. We work with states to launch a quiet revolution. Today there are one point eight million fewer people on welfare than there were the day I took the oath of office. We are moving people from welfare. Shortly before his reelection President Clinton signed the new federal welfare reform bill

ending AFDC and turning power over to the states to run their own programs. This is actually to an in tone routes and the toll that i goal is eight miles with six kids to raise alone. Barb Pigman couldn't me the job search requirements of W2. She went off the welfare rolls and bound two part time jobs. That gives me exercise gives me a reason to get up in the. And it. Does bring in a little income. One job was a morning paper route by starting at 5 a.m. and driving most of the way she was finished in time to get her kids off to school. But even with help from her kids the job was tough in winter. One time I was just started to roll. Down here her flat tire. Sam says well we don't do well I just left lock. So. We did but. It was cold. His one was no fun. Happened twice. Barb earned about $300 a month delivering newspapers but had to pay for her own gas with expenses deducted she

often cleared less than three dollars and seventy five cents an hour. When I go in grab a bite to eat. Get the kids up and get them dressed and. Go to. Hell. After a brief training course in nursing care provided by W2. Barb found another part time job caring for an elderly couple that paid six dollars an hour. Still money was tight of a live. I never heard. The kids complain never having the there's never anything to eat in this house. My boys still stopped by to see his kids but not as often since their second separation. He's not paying a chance for housing he willingly pay child support so he can smoke in the car. Pay we. Do.

And. Jim sent this along for you. So he's done grad school and he's been trying to get in touch with you on and off. They went and Cohanim came by to see why BB missed the monthly party and to present her with her one full circle diploma. She's also helping BB to job hunt. I've gotten jobs just by going in and applying just haven't I needed somebody more you've been telling me to go over there to plead for. Cause. Mary Jo tell me the one lady that brings her boy there she's going to be quit and go there and apply for her job. She's in customer service. I don't know. Probably a good place to have good insurance. Barb will continue to get counseling services daycare fees and encouragement from full circle as she learns how to support her family. Is when you're part the whole family. He had the press but it's not as bad it seems to be

if nothing else it has definitely been. A. Learning. Shortly before winter Amy found a new job at a factory six miles from Gadot her new boss liked her work and gave her overtime hours. And I definitely am not going to go back on public assistance. It's more of a trap than a good thing you know cause you get on it and then you can't get off her vicious cycle to get. Just get her head back on my car yesterday on the roads Larry stayed on at the factory but they both had trouble getting to work because their cars kept breaking down. I don't know nothing about cars. I don't understand. I'm just lucky I got friends that do it and don't mind doing it. In Princess Lystra track is the name of the book now that they're married.

Larry's medical plan covers the entire family and helps pay for medicine. Hey buddy if you. Can. At least for the moment Larry and Amy's work and health care have stabilized. But there are plans for further schooling have once again stalled. Five years from now. I still have my bills taken care of you know just. That's that's my main goal is to have everything taken care of because I've been starting college. There you go. I'm going to set myself back another 25 grand. I'll be back in order. That's another discouraging. You don't. Have good filing system for that. The single most critical thing we can do. Is to get every single American who wants it the chance to go to college by the winter of 1997. Homeless shelters were beginning to fill in food pantries empty national and state leaders were trying to amend the new welfare reform programs by adding more support

services like full circles daycare program transportation and health care coverage. When it comes down to when you talk to your everyday average American person they don't want it. They don't want to see people suffer. They really don't. In the meantime you've got to have people that are going to sort of be that the victims are the sacrificial lambs of this program. You know it's like anything. Why. Well we didn't put that stop light in until the third person was killed. And we. Bob Pigman finally found a full time job as a cook in a nursing home 20 miles from Glenwood city. She often works until 8 o'clock at night. Her older kids watch her younger ones until she can get home after dinner. It does give me a good feeling to get out there. It has helped me. I just figured there would be better there's better days ahead. I'm glad to be getting a paycheck every couple weeks even though it's a small one.

Greg Miller worked part time at a temp job through the Christmas holidays. Julie still cooks full time but now makes $4000 a month too much to qualify for food stamps. Her student loans now total $30000 and Greg's unemployment benefits have run out. They are filing for bankruptcy. But you know we don't really think of ourselves as poor because we're rich really. I mean gosh you know I-Drive wrong bill but by golly it gets boring. Larry and Amy continue to work factory jobs near Cadotte. They managed to get two used cars running by winter and still hope someday to go back to school. I just want to be able to provide for my family comfortably. And so I mean you don't have to worry about living month from home and it's not just financial but just for sanity's sake if anything. Just four years from now. We begin a new century. Full of enormous possibilities.

We must make the basic bargain of opportunity and responsibility available to all Americans not just a few. I think there's still hope. I think we're at a critical time though in terms of our people our future our children our resource souls. I mean we can't just destroy ourselves. It's all a choice.