Needing help

In 1992, when our first child was a baby, we lived in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. My husband worked the overnight shift at WIKG, 92.1 Gold, a classic oldies radio station in Chambersburg, almost a half hour away. He worked through a semester of college and then summer school, radio by night and classes by day, with studying and homework and dates with me and church fit into the space between.

He received his bachelor's degree and immediately stuff changed: the radio station switched to automation and fired everyone. I totaled the car. Our lease ended. I was pregnant with Geri, on bedrest with unexplained bleeding. Our church congregation, called a ward, was even split into two wards that summer!

It was during that time that we met with our bishop to ask for financial help. He welcomed us into his office with a budget worksheet, all ready to teach this young couple about money. My husband presented him with a handwritten list and pile of paper bills, in order. The bishop started filling in his worksheet and stopped after just a couple figures. This is why! he exclaimed, you're not able to meet even your fixed expenses, let alone food and gas.

So we applied for government assistance and were on food stamps and Medicaid for many years. Part of his drive to work was to make enough to get off, which we finally did when we moved to Fort Wayne IN.

In that sense there has never been a time in my children’s lives when a hardworking man could readily support a family without help. Inflation and stagnant wages be... It's just more obvious now.