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Lake Area United Way plans to boost child care, livable-wage jobs for working poor families

Times - 11/27/2018

Nov. 27--HAMMOND -- Delcy Sanders went to college, has worked most of her life, yet still can't make ends meet.

She is exactly the type of person Lake Area United Way is supporting in its latest campaign: someone who makes too much money to qualify for public assistance but not enough to get by.

"It's a story we hear over and over again," said Erin Meisner, community impact manager for Lake Area United Way. "Somebody working and working hard shouldn't be struggling like that, but unfortunately many families are in Lake County."

Sanders, who is 48 and lives in Hammond, got her bachelor's degree in political science from Alcorn State University. She has a more-than-two-decade work history. But she struggles to find adequate employment.

"When you say, 'I have a job,' people automatically think you're OK, and that's not the case," she said during a recent interview on a clear, brisk day at Harrison Park.

"The working poor is very real, and I don't even think that phrase should exist. When you work you shouldn't be poor. You spend a third of your day at that job, so you should be able to provide basic needs for your family."

Lake Area United Way has announced that it is focusing its effort to help working-poor families find affordable child care and livable-wage jobs. These households are also known as asset-limited, income-constrained employed, or ALICE. Lake Area United Way is currently developing strategies to tackle these two issues.

Twenty-two percent of households are considered working poor in Lake County (the state average is 25 percent). That's on top of another 15 percent of households that are in poverty (the state average is 14).

On the lookout for solutions

Lake Area United Way recently held discussions with local ALICE families, as well as the employers, nonprofits and faith-based organizations that serve them.

According to United Way, it takes a two-parent ALICE household with two kids $50,244 to survive and $96,132 to be financially stable. However, to qualify for child care assistance in Indiana, that same family would have to make less than $31,243.

Child care, decent wages are key

Barriers to affordable child care in Lake County include lack of high-quality facilities, many ministry- and home-based day cares with insufficient resources, and inaccessible safe after-school child care, United Way found.

These barriers can leave children delayed educationally, parents unable to work, and middle- and high-school youth at risk for unsafe behaviors, according to a report from United Way.

"Good child care in this area can be $10,000 a year," said Lisa Daugherty, president and CEO of Lake Area United Way. "If these kids are not prepared for school properly they could be challenged, and there are many expenses that go along with that."

Some potential strategies identified by United Way are employer co-op day cares, increasing the quality of ministry and home-based providers, revising the income eligibility for child care assistance, providing child care subsidies, and helping ALICE households open their own day care businesses.

United Way also pinpointed the barriers to livable-wage jobs, like a lack of confidence and "soft skills," being unaware of higher wage opportunities, training programs that only operate during work hours, and a dearth of transportation and child care.

"What we heard from many of the households is that they don't know where the opportunities exist," Daugherty said. "Many work multiple jobs. They are smart, they are resilient; these are folks you want to hire."

Possible strategies include expanding the hours of the career-advice agency WorkOne, providing case management, expanding the use of career navigators, and developing a network of employers willing to hire ALICE individuals.

A constant struggle

Sanders has worked as a train conductor, a substitute teacher, a dealer at the casino.

Most recently she was employed by a temp agency, but her assignment ended after six weeks. She took freelance photos for $20 a pop, but was lucky to get five assignments a week.

"What frustrates me the most is I have to take jobs that don't pay my bills," she said. "It's like living in fear on a daily basis. If I'm behind on my rent, I don't know when that landlord is going to send that eviction notice."

If she gets public assistance while she's off work, she's taken off it once she starts a new job. She wishes people would at least be weaned off that money.

"It's one of those situations where you're always in survival mode, and it's hard living like that," she said.

Sanders also is the primary caretaker of her mother, who has kidney disease. Sanders helps her mom with chores around the house, and makes sure she takes her medication on dialysis days, when she's a little more out of it.

On top of that, Sanders' 23-year-old son recently came back from college and moved in with her.

Not typical 'poor person'

Sanders said she would get training for higher-wage opportunities but can't afford the cost in money and time.

"In the meantime, you have to live," she said. "You have to eat, pay your bills, take your kids to school. You need to live. Even while you're trying to live, you still have to live."

She hasn't worked consistently in four years. She was asked how she gets by. She sighed and paused.

"Something always comes through, and I think that's divine intervention," she said.

She is energetic and confident, yet her frustration shines through. If anything, she's not your stereotypical "poor person."

"As a society, we sometimes think that people in need of assistance look one way," Meisner said. "We want to show the community that they don't. It's people we work alongside. It's people we pray alongside. It's people at the grocery store. We want to educate the community, so we can create strategies and help these people out.

"Quite frankly, when families are thriving, communities are thriving."

As part of its new campaign, United Way recently helped Sanders attempt to obtain livable-wage employment. Staffers assisted her in crafting a resume and cover letter, and got her a job interview at a local social-services agency.

At the end of the interview with The Times, she was asked if she had anything to add.

"Do you know anyone who's hiring?" she responded

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