I didn’t do too well this month.
Applications submitted in July ’14:
Administrative Assistant (Baltimore, MD) – Quest Group
Back Office Administrative Clerk – Gross Mendelsohn & Associates
Store Clerk Part Time – Save-a-Lot
Administrative Specialist – The Aspen Group
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On my brothers’ unanimous advice, I am cashing in all my life insurance policies. Once those proceeds are on hand, I will be able to apply for jobs with any-hours-whatsoever. I will be free from the shelter’s rigid hours, because once I get such a job I can stay in a hotel until I can get my own place.
This assumes the job pays at least $30K.
In the meantime I’ll need to be looking primarily for part-time jobs that will let me save up money while I continue to stay at the shelter. These are subject to the shelter’s rigid hours, however.
The Homeless Blogger 
Just wanted to let you know I read all of your posts, and I wish you the best of luck in your job search. I have never had a job that pays 30K even in the best of times, and am not likely to ever find one (especially now with blatant age discrimination). A nice steady paycheck would solve so many problems. No matter what anyone says about the evils of money, lack of it is a source of stress and sickness and depression. Or maybe it’s the lack of hope.
To me, major job creation (not the pathetic numbers the government throws out to con a gullible nation) should be the most important issue on a politician’s agenda. Not everyone is cut out to be an IT genius, or doctor or lawyer or professor. I feel so strongly about our leaders refusing to make this a priority (they say it is, but it’s not) that it makes me angry. So many good people living on the edge. We are invisible to the politicians unless you have babies, then they’ll do anything for you. I live in an area of desperate people and am barely hanging on myself but I have strong convictions about helping my neighbors. We barter and trade on the honor system. It’s a good way to live. We check on each other (at least the good ones do). We help you fix a hole in the roof, you help us get the truck started (our truck is 43 years old!).
But still, we need money too. No bartering with the electric company. I think you’re amazing for not giving up and for continuing to strive for a better life. If I can ever send you some much-needed items, please let me know. We have a pretty good lifeline here on the border, there are food distribution programs and people who help others. We have a good homeless shelter that opens its doors to the community for free dinner once a week—piles of food that people donate. But this is a much smaller community than yours so it’s different. But still there are many homeless people living here behind Safeways or Walmarts, etc.
Way too many stray animals here though, all my dogs and cats came from terrible lives. It’s one of my expenses that is by choice not necessity—but I wouldn’t give them up no matter what happens because they keep me alive and I love them more than anything in the world.
Sorry if this is off-topic and kind of long but your posts often touch me and I just want to let you know that people are rooting for you.
What a blessing to hear from you!
I’m surprised you’ve never made $30K, given your skills set. In the world of legal secretaries, that was a typical salary in 2006 (Oh. I have to recall that there are reasons it’s that way.), and I regret that there’s been no change since then.
I likewise wish that jobs creation were the focal political issue. It needs to be, if anyone wants to decrease the welfare rolls. A careful reading of the clippings I’ve posted finds that there are purely political reasons it’s gone off the radar screen for both parties — as each seeks to appeal to its own “base” in anticipation of the midterm elections.
In Sunday school yesterday, we were discussing my situation. Thelma recalled that when she took her four kids and left an abusive husband, the first work she found was cleaning cages in a primates lab. I recalled my notion of reinstating the draft: I can anticipate being told to move to Minnesota, and “this will be your job, scooping primate poop.” But it would be a JOB.
We can maintain hope.
I’m grateful for your support!
WT