Sees poor caught in job crunch

Legislation requiring welfare recipients to look for work or lose their benefits is taking a harsh toll on residents of the northernmost parts of the Albany Diocese, said Sister Fran Husselbeck, RSM, founder of North Country Ministries.

North Country Ministries covers the Warren County parishes of Sacred Heart, Lake George; St. Cecilia's, Warrensburg; and St. James, North Creek. It provides counseling, financial aid, clothing and faith formation for the poor.

Sister Fran noted that volunteers see two typical problems in the rural areas: Those who had welfare benefits losing them, and those who need to apply for welfare not qualifying.

The more rural the town, said Sister Fran, the more likely it is that parishioners get "caught in a crunch" trying to meet welfare regulations. Transportation and child care are the biggest problems for rural Catholics. Often, rural, single mothers with dependent children who apply for welfare have no way to put in the number of job applications per month that the law requires. They do not own cars to travel to potential jobs, and they don't have day care for their children while they look for work.

Those who own cars may also face a catch-22 situation, said Sister Fran: Welfare recipients may lose benefits if their cars are worth too much. A mother with a later-model car can't give up what she owns, but can't get help while she owns it.

Even for those looking for work, jobs are at a premium in rural areas, Sister Fran added. Many North Country Catholics can only work seasonally in the ski industry or in summer resorts. Often, those jobs are minimum-wage positions as chambermaids. Such workers don't receive health benefits, and many that Sister Fran has met use up most of their paychecks on transportation and medical bills.

According to Sister Fran, one woman who did not own a car was told by Social Services, "We'd be glad to relocate you down to Glens Falls," where subsidized housing and more job possibilities are available.

But "this lady is rooted in a rural area," Sister Fran argued. "I don't think she has the skills for city living -- and does she want to leave the community that knows her and knows her needs?"

North Country Catholics are known for their sense of pride, she said, noting that "they wouldn't ask for Social Security unless they really needed it. But as soon as they're treated impersonally, they say, `I'll get along without it.' And they try."

North Country Ministries has helped many rural residents to receive supplies that their meager benefits don't cover, from diapers to household goods. Those who need work to receive benefits are also welcome to volunteer and are treated with respect, Sister Fran said.

While she admitted that the problems in the North Country are worsening, Sister Fran hopes to see changes other than the relocations offered by Social Services.

"I don't think the answer is to move the poor down into a subsidized living situation," she stated. "I think you're creating new problems."

Such offers also lead her to ask a question: "Is the rural area only for those who can afford it? Are we looking to put the poor in one place?"

(05-14-98) [[In-content Ad]]