My husband and I have had a spiraling downfall with debt.  Yes we both work, we have a car.  No, we don't have children.  Our credit was tarnished severely after moving from NY to VA without research...this was stupid.

Some unexpected cost came up (THE IRS) and the satisfactory payment arrangement is hurting us.  What else could happen next.  we get involved in payday loans.  WRONG!  Paid them off.  But it seems as though the money is there but we don't have any cushion.  When the pay check is in, it goes right out and we have to juggle to see who will get what.

What next?  Surgery.  Yes, there's a payment plan and insurance.  But we just can't get caught up.  Forget about getting a tax return.  Although we adjusted our taxes so that enough comes out, it all goes to the $6,000+ owed.

Two churches have helped and I was soo surprised that anyone would help a working class person.  I thought you had to be completely homeless to get help.  But still, there is no cushion.

Today, my rent is due, car insurance and a car payment.  If I don't have a car, how do we get to work?

I am soooo scared and embarrassed.  I have no one to turn to.

The local town government has pulled their small portion ($45,445.00) of the funding for a dual-line set of public mass transit hourly bus runs that serve the fixed-income elderly, the disabled, and the socio-economically deprived in my town of 109,000 people (Independence, Missouri). The local government (City Manager, and figurehead Mayor and Council members) are treating these groups are non-productive embarrassments and prefer (and have allocated instead) to spend their money on the pet projects (such as spending $150,000 per block to "streetscape" 95 blocks of the local Square so that there will be matching flower pots, matching garbage cans, matching benches, widening of the already wide boulevard-type sidewalks, and cute little arches) of their affluent elitist business friends. CPIBT will defend these real and underserved people from the cowardly bullies who would victimize them and who seem to be exhibiting a very Fascist or at least autocratic let-them-eat-cake mentality when they say "let them buy cars or move." Neither is an option for these groups of folks. At one end of the bus line is the largest projects in the greater Kansas City metro area, Hawthorne Place with 2500 people and 744 units. At the other end of the dual route is Blue River Community College of 3100 students, most of them from Hawthorne Place, who will lose their Pell and other educational grants when they can no longer get to school to attend. Both end venues accommodate comprehensive diversity in culture, ethnicity, and creed. The dual route also serves 2 HUD low-income elderly housing (Heritage House, Noland Towers) as well as 9 other large HUD low-income projects (Independence Towers, Hocker Heights, Brookstone Village, Summerset, Southview Manor A & B, Highleah Townhouses I-IV, Independence Townhouses I-II, Sunrise House, and the Greater Chapter of PVA), a nursing home (The Fountains at Greenbrier), a HUD low-income disabled home (Independence Resident Services), a home for low-income emotionally disabled veterans (Ashley Home), a homeless shelter (Crossroads), a group home (Gateway), and the center that treats those in the group homes (Comprehensive Mental Health Services). It also serves a local middle school (Bridger) and high school (Chrisman), and students not being bused by school buses use it to attend. It even serves a local elementary school (Randall), 2 libraries and an historical museum (Mid-Continent Library and Truman Historical Library & Museum). This dual-line set of bus routes bus that also connect with 5 other bus routes is the only hope for a future as well as for survival for literally thousands of good people who are trying to better themselves so that they can turn around and help others get a leg up and give their children the hope of a better future, and the city officials have revoked the funding. This particular public bus line double route of 10 daily runs typically removes an average of 18 cars every single hour and 180 cars per day off the streets; cars that are typically very old and in disrepair, and therefore greater contributors to the pollution and fouling of the air quality factor, because of the socio-economic deprivation of the groups (disabled, fixed-income elderly, and working or job-seeking or school-attending poor) who would be forced to drive such as they could afford were it not for this bus line. The first bus cut occurred as of October 1, 2007 when the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) did not receive the Independence small portion due to run it. All remaining buses have a cut date of January 1, 2008 when none of the money due from the City of Independence for the second half of the City fiscal year (January 1st through June 30th) shows up. This comprises the line item amount being requested ($700,000 to rescue and preserve all 9 lines endangered: #183 Green, #284 Purple, #285 Blue, #291 Yellow, #292 Orange, #293 Red, #24 Independence, #24X Express (both Highleah and Farview). CPIBT has been formed as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization on an emergency basis in order to receive the help so desperately needed, but it is a slow process to get relief, although we continue to plead the blood of Jesus for victory over the enemy and pray in a state of thanksgiving and praise to Father Yahweh for blessings given by Him that we are waiting to receive as further testimony to our faith that we actively and passionately proselytize.

Walking is not a viable option for the disabled or the elderly. Hitchhiking is illegal in Independence, Missouri. Relying on friends and/or neighbors and/or relatives is not viable when they do not drive or own cars, either. Local churches either cannot or for various reasons will not pitch in to assist on a large scale that is required to be a total replacement for public mass bus transit. “Foreign” (non-Independence) help organizations are not solicited to participate in “what will fit” Independence by the City Council. Local citizens who would desire to evidence compassion translated into works of financial faith are clearly not viable candidates to withstand the burden, as of the 50,247 households recorded at www.census.gov, 14.1% or 7,085 only earn between $15,000-$24,999; 15.2% or 7,638 only earn between $25,000-$24,999; 16% or 8,040 only earn between $35,000-$49,999; and 21.8% or 10,954 only earn between $50,000-$74,999. Only .8% (less than 1%) earns $200,000 or more.

CPIBT has been recently formed as a 501(c)(3) non-profit (religious/charitable/educational environmental-friendly and pollution-lessening transit-related) organization corporation also dedicated to defending the rights of reasonable survival of the disabled, the fixed-income elderly, and the socio-economically deprived, all while actively and passionately promoting the Gospel, and has 1023 Federal IRS tax-exempt status as well. Official proof papers can be scanned and submitted upon request. CPIBT will consist of: Erin Burroughs, Chair of both CPIBT and its Board of Directors; Howard Higgins, CPIBT President and Internal Director on its Board; Rick Pascoe, External Director on CPIBT Board; Larry Leek, Vice President/Chief Fundraising Officer; Aaron Brown, Treasurer/Transportation Officer; and Cheryl Coffman, Secretary/Press & Public Relations Officer, and full professional qualifications and histories are scanned and can be promptly provided upon request. CPIBT will also have an administrative assistant on board to serve the Officers, process the front office, and act as initial point of contact. CPIBT has 24 dedicated Christian volunteers whom the Board and Officers will lead, supervise and direct, and who will comprise teams as assigned. CPIBT has the opportunity to buy (and fully equip) a building (located at 4311 South Washington Street, Independence, Missouri) and bus garage (large enough to house four 20-passenger buses with room in each for 2 wheelchairs) perfect now and in future growth as God blesses CPIBT and enlarges the territory of CPIBT to help others and expand the direction and focus into education while still centering on environmental-friendly and pollution-lessening transit, all the while opening hearts and souls to the Lord Jesus Christ. In support of this, CPIBT is seeking $2,841,734 in grant money. ($700,000 for the 9 Independence bus routes, $900,000 for building and property; $801,534 to fully secure, insure, furnish permanently and to fully equip and operate for the first full year; $440,200 to fully staff for the first full year.)

Starting at the beginning of next year, CPIBT will be performing major fundraising and doing research to write further and other grant proposals for not only saving the aforementioned Independence public bus mass transit lines for the whole fiscal year of ’08-’09 (from July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009) to cover the required City of Independence financial portion that is anticipated to be lacking, but to also write for expansion of services to include 5 new lines to cover the approximately 40% of unserved Independence territory heavily filled with other educational and vocational school venues, large employers and dense retail and housing areas, as well as increasing services to cover full retail time including weeknights, full day and night Saturdays, and Sundays. CPIBT has mapped out all 5 of these new routes for feasibility and maximum potential passenger usage and participation, and the amount of pollution-causing traffic that will, as a direct result, be removed from the congested roads is expected to quadruple immediately. The new expansion will be able to provide a means of direct high impact for immediately mitigating the adverse affects of almost 19,000 environment-polluting cars on a daily basis, allow for much less traffic congestion and road rage, and provide an alternative more pleasant, safe, and time- and gas-saving way for not just a segment but for all of Independence to conduct business, shop and spend money, increase education, and receive treatment to rehabilitate, get well, stay well, or even just to survive. The new expansion will also provide new service to the remainder of Independence citizens who are living in poverty and desire an opportunity to get an educational hand up, not a self-destructive handout, and to fixed-income senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Hi my name is Tim.  I am a single father of two small children.  My wife died about 4 months ago.  I work full time, and go to school full time.  I would be considered an example of 'working poor'.  Although I've qualified for some financial aid, it's not nearly enough to cover all of my expenses.  I guess most schools figure that everyone going there is single and living with three other students.

For those who think I must be irresponsible and that I should pay for things myself, I would love to.  I would apply for my own personal loan to pay for school and all my expenses, but when I was in the air force stationed overseas, my father stole my credit and ruined it.  I came back to over $50,000 debt in my name.  None of which was mine.  I had to file bankruptcy shortly after getting back to the states.  So, to others I appear to be irresponsible, when in fact, I tried for months to pay down the debt, but was overwhelmed.

I would appreciate any size donation.  I don't want a hand-out, just a hand-up.  Once I have acheived my goal of a degree and my finanacial situation has improved, I pledge to help others as I have been helped.

Thank you.

I am 29 years old married with six children.  I am part of the working poor.  It’s too late to sign up for the free Christmas help programs.  During sign up times I just new I would have the money for their Christmas. Things happened and now I am unable to provide a Christmas present for them.

I'm a very hard working single mom. I'm what you would consider one of the working poor. I support myself and my daughter and work very hard just to make my ends meet every month. Every month it seems like we just scrape by. I have had to take out payday loans just to pay my gas bill every month for my car. I have to commute 100 miles every day to get to work. The cost of gas is killing me and now my car that has over 130K miles is starting to have alot of problems. Because of the high interest on my payday loans, I get deeper in the whole every month. I also have a hideous bill with the IRS for which I make monthly payments. All I want is to be debt free for once in my adult life.

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Feel free to participate in this public group space.

Two easy ways to do this:

1. Add a comment or a question here - on this page... or on any other page in this space.
   
2. Or, if you want to start a separate thread - make a new page.

Either way is good - the important thing is your participation. On Aidpage, people support each other by speaking out and by paying attention to each other - as simple as that.

I have just recently started a new job while we are fighting for my husband's disability.  I have a 14 year old son at home.  The problem is I don't make enough money to pay for my husband's prescriptions (he has no health insurance and has COPD and liver disease), pay my bills and buy groceries for 2 weeks at a time.  My bills have taken a back seat up till now while I have been trying to get my husband into the doctor's office (his doctor who was seeing him for free, has left his private practice and went into a government position).  I have no way of juggling them anymore.  I need help with our electric bill (which payments can be made on a one-time basis online).  The gas prices have made trying to pay the bills even harder.  I am struggling to keep it together but I don't know what to do anymore.  I make too much money to get any type of state assistance but not enough to survive anymore.  I see a lot of people like me fall through the cracks and disappear.  If anybody can help, I will gladly give you the website and account number for our electric company.  I am waiting on the power to be disconnected any time.  I paid what I could on the account, but it was not enough.  Thank you.