I’ve been underemployed for most of the past year. Last fall, I developed a plan. I won’t give up on using my MA in counseling; I’ll keep applying for jobs, knowing that it might take years to find a position. But I need a job for now, a job I can count on, with a regular schedule and a reliable paycheck. I decided to seek a caregiver position. There are a lot of these jobs available here in Eugene as we seek to keep seniors in their homes as long as possible. I applied to a couple of agencies and they called me right away (within hours of submitting my application.) My first interview, the guy asked me, basically, why do you want a job you’re so overqualified for? I told him I was wanting to make a career change, and saw elder care as a growing field with a lot of opportunity, plus I just love old people, and I have to be helping somebody or I’m just not happy.
That agency offered me a job, and the supervisor told me that he wanted me to also work in the office learning the administrative end of things, since I have so much professional-office experience. It’s an established Oregon company opening a new office in Eugene. I thought that all sounded great and I accepted the job. My supervisor told me it should only take a few days to get my background check back and then he’d start assigning me clients. He gave me a little more than minimum wage for my education and experience: $12 per hour! I turned down the other interviews resulting from my applications.
I knew it would probably take longer than that; my last background check took six weeks. But I was working full-time at a temp job and hoped it would fit together just right. However, it ended up taking eight weeks. Finally, I was assigned a client, went and met him, and started working: 25 hours a week, $1100 a month. In February I’d add a client who simply needed help in the morning bathing, bringing me to just under my upper limit of $1385 per month. I love my client, he is so cool. He’s 74, in chronic pain, and uses a wheelchair, yet is always occupied with creative electronic projects around his house. We get along great. I thought that I could rely on the job.
(Like countless other middle-aged Oregonians, until I get a real counseling job, with a real salary and benefits, I have to stay qualified for Oregon Health Plan by not making more than $1385 a month. Usually this isn’t a problem, ha ha arrg. I’m very experienced in living simply.)
Right after I started working, I got a call from the office. My supervisor, the one who hired me, was “no longer with the company.” I had a new guy. I should mention that I have yet to get a paycheck that is accurate or on time. The new guy complains, he has too much to do, he doesn’t know how to do payroll. I offered to work in the office but have been rebuffed. The company still owes me for a week I worked back in December. I have been trying to get paid for that since it was missing from my 1/5/18 check. That’s $250 that I need desperately and I have been inquiring about it daily. Twice my paycheck was “lost in the mail” and they had to overnight it; I think he just forgot. I’ve never spoken to anyone else from the company. I’m considering calling the home office, asking for human resources, and pouring out the whole sordid tale. But my short-tempered supervisor might take that badly.
Last Tuesday, as I was happily portioning out rice for my amateur-chef client to use in recipes, my supervisor called. Due to a clerical error, we had to stop providing services for my client. He couldn’t tell me how long it would take to fix the problem. Days? Weeks? Who knows. I’m trying to wait to worry, but it isn’t working.
Meanwhile, my home is being gentrified. I live in a crappy duplex in a very nice neighborhood with beautiful views. The owner decided to sell it, and after discovering the landlord’s mismanagement, decided to raze it. It seems the land is worth more without the slum-house that stands upon it. So all 12 of us, all low-income people, have been displaced, so that some rich person can build a mansion and look down upon Eugene. Now that I’m already here, there are way too many people moving into Eugene from other places. The housing market is tight; apartment complexes and property managers are requiring credit checks, income of 3x the rent from every roommate, and rental references. Even if I had $1500 or $2000 for deposit, I couldn’t pass the credit check, and I don’t make enough to qualify, even to rent one room in an apartment. I went and looked at some rooms, tiny little cupboards in cramped apartments in stacks of shacks, which I can’t qualify for anyway. I met and disappointed some really nice people. I hope they find financially highly-qualified roommates with a few thousand bucks on hand who for some reason want to live in an 8’ by 8’ room.
But I found a place! I put an ad up myself, which I highly recommend if you’re looking for a place to live, and an older gentleman called me. I went out and met him and just fell in love with him. He’s 87 and used to be a real monkey-wrencher. Went to jail protesting the Vietnam War and everything. He’s an artist, loves bluegrass, couldn’t be a better match for me. His house is one-bedroom but there’s a garage, and I’m going to live in the garage. My friends asked if it had walls and a floor; well, sure, of course! My new landlord said he was going to put up wallboard, level the dirt floor and cover it, add a picture window and strengthen the person-door. I believe him because he called the handyman while I was there. Until it gets warm I can cover the garage door with plastic and blankets. I’ll put my bed in the back and the whole front can be my sewing/freeway sign studio. A few sturdy worktables is all I need. I’ve finished one project for a local family, given an estimate on a much larger job, and hope to grow this into another reliable source of income. I also have a relationship with a local boutique that sells my wearable upcycled art. That doesn’t bring in much, but every little bit helps.
My new landlord wants first month’s rent and a deposit; I can handle the $500 rent but I don’t have the $500 deposit. The muffler fell off my car; well, we had to help it come off, but I have to get it welded back on ASAP because the community where my client lives has complained about the noise. The low-income vet pushed Lenny’s appointment back a month, meaning I’m draining his vet fund buying his medication to keep him from scratching himself bloody, poor thing. Car insurance, cell phone, and I’m waiting for this “clerical error” to be straightened out so i can get back to work, so I’m KINDA FREAKING OUT a little bit. I applied at a couple other caregiver agencies and scheduled interviews, but it will probably take another eight weeks for another background check, so that’s not going to help in time.
One of my Kossack friends recommended I try and list everything I need and add it up; if I’m going to ask for help I should try and include everything. I’m ashamed to ask for help; I’m “supposed” to be able to take care of myself, never mind my several disabilities. Another Kossack friend told me not to be ashamed of my financial situation. I’m trying. My total crowd-funding goal is $960, which covers the deposit on my new home, moving expenses, making the garage livable, car insurance, and cell phone. I’m making the assumption here that I’ll be back at work very soon. If you’re poor like me, don’t send me money; in this case your thoughts and prayers are a precious gift. If you’ve got a little extra, even $5 is a lot of money to me at this point, and there are a lot of us. I need a miracle. I’m hoping I can make it through, just enough to feel a little safety, for a little while. Thanks for reading. My PayPal address is leannemnorth at gmail, or Kosmail me. Thanks, as always, for your support. I couldn’t do it without you.