"I got the house!"

“I got the house! I got the house!” These words echoed through the halls at Hope Alive first thing Monday morning. One of our resident families ready to move to our after-care phase had been patiently searching for “affordable” housing in the Thurmont area. The call she had been waiting for came Monday morning. This is one of the major milestones a Hope Alive family can achieve while participating in our residential program, but it’s only the first step in a brand new life filled with hope and a future. They are moving out this weekend absolutely thrilled to have their very own place to call home. And the best part is they are still close to Hope Alive and the support network she’s created for her family. In her excitement over the news, she raised her hands to thank God for all He has done in their lives.

The other "news" we received this week was pretty discouraging. Jody Julian (our Family Ministry Specialist) received a ruling from the Department of Social Services that our newest mom's participation in GED classes would not satisfy the state of MD’s requirement for 20 hours per week of “approved activity” to qualify for Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) ($560 per month for a family of three). The state of MD blesses welfare recipients with a $500 cash award when passing the state GED exam, but makes no allowance (for women with children under the age of 6) to fulfill the class and study time required to pass the test. If she were taking college classes, however, she would be credited with one hour of "approved activity" for each credit hour taken in addition to an allowance for study time. If her children were over the age of six, she would be required to do 30 hours per week of "approved activity" to receive TCA benefits, but she would be credited 10 hours per week for time spent in GED classes and on homework. Make sense? Not to us!

So what does all this mean for our young mother who is committed to working hard to change her life? It means this young mother will be spending 20 hours per week in GED classes plus homework time to prepare for the state exam plus 20 hours per week of community service to satisfy the "approved activity" requirement plus 36 hours in a job readiness program next week plus directed job search for 40 hours over the following 3 weeks plus her mental health appointments plus appointments for her children’s physical health plus social service appointments, etc. And don't forget about her children that she needs to feed, bathe, love, and play with. But with Hope Alive’s assistance and God’s faithful provision, she will earn her GED, land a descent job, and one day shout, “I got the house!”

This is just one issue in a growing list of injustices we are discovering within the “system”. Thanks for your interest and continued support in the important work God has called us to do. I won’t be writing next week, but check back the week of Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading!

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director