By Elizabeth Asahi Sato, Executive Director, CARE, Inc.
I promised my Board and my community at least one Op Ed or article a month, but I am still drinking from a firehose. I am nearly seven months into what I refer to as “my calling,” and I barely find time to breathe, let alone rest.
My heart and spirit are moved every day by our staff, our Board of Directors, and our many partners and supporters. It’s important to know it gets busier as the cold weather and enormous downpour arrives in Tillamook.
Here is October, in numbers. Houseless Services reception served 762 guests. The East and West Villages sheltered 515. The Anchor sheltered 233. Our Navigation peers carried an average caseload of 15 daily engaged clients each and are adding more every day; every one of them met with more than 59 clients in October alone.
Through our collaborative Deflection services, our recovery ally met with 41 individuals about the program, 12 of whom are now on an engaged caseload. The shuttle driver gave 50 rides for deflection, including two trips a day to Helping Hands.
The Housing Team meets with an average of 17 people a month in their homes on top of their regular program caseload. Nine clients are already housed at the new Spruce Point, where we provide wraparound services on site every week, and some of them have found work. We have also begun development on the Bay City program for home repair.
That is the front line, and this is the place we call CARE, Inc.
Today, rested from the weekend, I was a little sad that I did not have more to offer. The first two clients I met were stressed and unhappy.
A senior client with disabilities had already received help with his utilities from CARE the previous month. He was incensed, and growing angrier, that we could not pay his bills again this month. He cursed at our receptionist and nearly collided with me as I stood talking with another client at the front door.
“I am handicapped; I am on Social Security. I had a stroke and a heart attack. And yes, you people gave me a place to live, but I cannot pay my utilities. What am I supposed to do if you tell me no?”
He backed his truck into another client’s vehicle without looking at enough speed to cause serious damage. No one was hurt. He did not know who to blame, so he picked us.
This person reflects many of the people who walk through our doors, especially in the hard winter months. Utility bills have gone up. Food is close to unaffordable. Even on Social Security or other subsidized income, rent is higher and resources are few. We explore every possible funding opportunity, but we must also follow state and federal rules on how much we can allocate per client and how many times a quarter or year they may apply. He went on a tirade blaming his troubles on “foreigners,” pointing to us though the receptionist and I are both United States citizens. This is what our front line takes every day, while giving our very best.
The same morning, a different door.
A mother of five, with three young children, was taking a tobacco break before coming in. We walked a little and talked. She was not angry, but she was confused and agitated by the process, by the decision-making, by the income limits, and by how people who have been through the system ought to be treated.
We treat former offenders without bias, and we believe everyone deserves a second chance. But it is tough out there. I am saddened to hear our clients lament what we can provide, because the new Spruce Point apartments are a lovely place, with a new playground and a recreation center. Even new amenities do not solve the worry of a mother trying to find and keep a job while raising her children.
“I just want to work and take care of my family.”
We understand. We want to help you. We work hard, and we do all we can.
Mornings like these are hard on our CARE, Inc. staff. We must follow federal and state guidelines, and we must also be fair and compassionate, even when people are less understanding of our limits.
This season, if you have something to spare, please think of us at CARE. Better yet, think of those we serve. The faces are changing. We are seeing more elders and more families in this hard economy.
We appreciate, very much, everyone who donates to CARE, Inc.
Blessings to you all.
For more about CARE’s services, go to www.careinc.org or visit their office in Tillamook at 2310 1st St, Ste 2, Tillamook
