If you read my last post, you’ll see that I address the misconception that all poor people are alike and cheat the system. A friend read the post, and with great humor, she emailed me a parallel quote that Houston’s drivers are also not all alike: some cut you off in traffic, some are angry, some are gracious, some are slow, etc… You’ll have to read my last blog to catch the humor in her writing – I think she had a bad experience on Highway 59 near the construction on Weslayan.
Also on the heels of posting that last blog, one of our volunteers shared this story of a client we recently helped.
It’s a two-parent family with a four-year old and a seven-month old. Dad is a dental hygienist, certified in the State of California. They lived in California, but the cost of living was too high, so they made the big decision to move to Houston. Our cost of living is considerably less, plus Houston is a city of opportunity.
Unfortunately, they made a mistake that has cost them dearly. They didn’t realize that his professional certification does not transfer over in Texas, so instead of earning a decent wage in his field of work, he is earning just above minimum wage, working in a restaurant. The mother cares for the children full-time, so until the youngest begins kindergarten, she cannot contribute much to the household’s income.
The volunteer told me this family is stressed, and Dad works a lot, just to pay the bills. Becoming recertified will cost him time and money, and they are trying to address those barriers. In the meantime, CCSC provided food and clothing to the family and connected them to other resources to help their situation.
They are not cheating the system, but are doing their best in a difficult situation. It is the mission of CCSC to be a safety net for families such as these. We represent the church in saying, “this family is suffering and is worthy of help – let’s do what we can to soften the hard circumstances of their life.“ And we do it with kindness.
