I fail to see why I cannot get food stamps in South Florida... (condo, loans)

[Fnix]

Originally Posted by tercel95

Have you considered joining the military?

I second this, but then I realise not everyone is made for it.

[8.00 per hour]

Yes, I went in there years ago and inquired, I was denied, they told me that since I have Sickle Cell Anemia I'm not eligible.

I would love to become a cop but they told me the same thing.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Originally Posted by 8.00 per hour

I make $11.75 per hour and work part-time of 24 hours a week. They denied me and told me that I make too much money. Also they said no cash assistance for those who don't have a "family".

Pretty weird but it's so hard to find any type of job down here at this time.

If you work 64 hours a week at $11.75 an hour, your income would be in excess of 35k a year. With no dependents, I don't know why you feel that you should be entitles to public assistance.

Edit- I just reread and see that you only work 24 hours a week. I thought that you meant that you had both a full and part time job. Can you get another PT job to supplement your current one? $11.75 an hour is pretty good in this economy.

If you like law enforcement, but can't get on due to health reasons, I bet a security company would love to have a reliable, responsible person on staff. Or maybe look for gigs as condo security?

[Wild Style]

HIF, really? We are in a darn depression, where is he going to pull a second job from, his bum? There is over 8% unemployment in Broward county alone. You are fighting for the most simplistic of jobs with people with freaking masters degrees right now. The poor guy should think God he has what he has right now. There was a job fair at a convention center in Davie not to long ago and the line of cars was from university exit all the way to 441. Not sure if you are from Broward or not but that is a whole LOT of people!

[♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

. There was a job fair at a convention center in Davie not to long ago and the line of cars was from university exit all the way to 441. Not sure if you are from Broward or not but that is a whole LOT of people!

Those job fairs have always been depressing places, even pre-depression times. The original poster should not give up, there are places that are still hiring, they just need to be persistent and maybe work on their interview skills if that is a problem (maybe check out a book in the library regarding that) Good luck OP.

[ferretlady4719]

If you can't find a second PT job right now, perhaps there's something you can do in the interim to earn a little on the side. What type of hobbies, creative skills, talents do you have? Look at the things you enjoy & do well, and see how you might be able to make a small income from them. If you're a proficient pianist, for example, offer piano lessons. If you love to sew, do alterations and sewing jobs for people. Sell hand-crafted items online through Etsy, Artfire, ShopHandMade, etc. Set up a booth at a local flea market on the weekends, if you have something you could market that way. Just tossing some random examples out, but you get the idea....

It wouldn't be the same as another "regular job", but it could help bring in a bit of extra money. Then take every penny of that money & put it towards those credit cards. If it's something you really enjoy doing anyway, it won't seem so much like "work" and you can chip down your debt a bit quicker. It might seem like a trivial amount of income, but even an extra $100-200 a month could get those debts paid off a little bit faster.

And then if you find a second job later, you can just drop your "hobby job" and go with the regular job....

[Donna-501]

Sorry, don't have any advise but did want to say that I was there in the 80's and it sure isn't fun. Don't give up, you will get something.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by lolitazz

Those job fairs have always been depressing places, even pre-depression times. The original poster should not give up, there are places that are still hiring, they just need to be persistent and maybe work on their interview skills if that is a problem (maybe check out a book in the library regarding that) Good luck OP.

This is also a good time to go back to school and learn a trade or get a degree in something.

[fauve]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

This is also a good time to go back to school and learn a trade or get a degree in something.

This is a great idea. Just make sure you go to Broward College which is affordable vs. some kind of tech school, etc. They may tell you they can get you loans, etc, and they may be able to, but you will be paying these off with your social security. They are not dischargeable even in bankruptcy and private tech school can easily run over $100k. The interest rates can go up crazy high and the nightmare stories about these loans are really horrible.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

HIF, really? We are in a darn depression, where is he going to pull a second job from, his bum? There is over 8% unemployment in Broward county alone. You are fighting for the most simplistic of jobs with people with freaking masters degrees right now. The poor guy should think God he has what he has right now. There was a job fair at a convention center in Davie not to long ago and the line of cars was from university exit all the way to 441. Not sure if you are from Broward or not but that is a whole LOT of people!

I don't think that I said it would be easy, any more than your suggestion that the OP double up on CC payments. But, since the alternative is giving up, I'd opt for my suggestion of trying to find additional work over your kvetching about the economy.

Condos these days are in dire straights. It's very likely that he could get a job in security that would include housing. I don't live in Broward now but have for years and am in contact with decades old friends who are still there. I also am trying to fill two security positions in condos in other parts of the state now- both include a 3/2 condo. We have just filled two others in central FL.

I spent more time than I thought I would with no income until a year ago. Many of us have been there, many are there now. The most critical thing, IMO, is not to give up because there are no jobs out there. There ARE jobs. Some good, some not so good. You are correct, however, that they are very hard to come by. Also, the people with masters degrees don't have the edge when it comes to working at a place like World Market. Someone with recent retail experience will more often than not be hired before a degreed person BC the managers will assume the person with the degree will split once a better job is found.

To get by, I began working marketing gigs at stayingconnected.com. The jobs dried up for a while but they have been posting a lot of openings lately. I still try to do it at least two days a month now BC I ran through my savings when not working. You book it online, go to the gig, hand out samples and you are done. Pays about $17 an hour. It does require standing on your feet for five hours, so is not for everyone, but may be worth checking out.

To get back on topic, I believe that the OP said he lives at home. That could be the reason that he isn't eligible for foods stamps. There is a formula that is used and I bet that's what is keeping him from qualifying.

Also to the OP- just don't give up and try to stay positive. Although I know that it is easy to say that when one is working and at times impossible to do when not.