Welfare is not a joke any longer!

Isn't this how MOST people feel? All of the jokes about people getting their welfare checks or using their foodstamps?? It's funny, right?? Do any of you who make jokes about the welfare system even KNOW how it works??

I don't know about other states, but here in Ohio the welfare system is VERY strict. Welfare is to help people who are having a problem finding a job OR people who HAVE jobs but still can't support their families with what they make. If you apply for assistance and you do not have a job you will ONLY receive benefits IF you attend the "job find" program, which is 5 days a week, usually from 8-9 am to 3-4 pm. All day, every day! In this class they teach you how to build a good resume and how to approach employers about possible employment with the company! After they teach you all of that then they make you go through a phone book all day long and call companies asking if they are hiring and if they will give you an interview. If after 30 days you have not found a job you will be forced to do volunteer work for them in exchange for the benefits you receive. IF you get a job and still fall under the poverty level the amount of benefits you receive will go down depending on how much you earn.

Welfare is not for "lazy" people who just want to sit on their ass and get a paycheck every month. In fact, they are VERY strict about cash assistance. They do NOT give cash assistance except for extreme cases!! The main things they help with is food and medical insurance. The only people who are allowed to NOT work are single mothers with children under 5 years of age. (which by the way I feel is really NOT fair considering that there are A LOT of single moms out there who work!..and then a lot of times they make the fathers pay back the welfare system on top of child support because the mom wont work..but that's another post, lol)

Most people who receive assistance these days DO work. Most of them work FULL time but most jobs do not pay enough to support a family. The cost of living is going up but most companies do not pay more! A lot of full time, laborous jobs only start out at minimum wage..which means that a lot of people ARE busting their asses EVERY day doing hard physical labor just to earn a pathetically small paycheck. I'm sure they work a lot harder than you do sitting in your posh little office making $75,000 a year!

I hope some of you will start thinking before making snotty little comments about people who receive government assistance. They do not allow people to "sit on their ass and get welfare" anymore. They are there to help people that are struggling to support their family! Some of you don't truly know what it is like to STRUGGLE and bust your hump every single day for almost NOTHING. Just be thankful for what you have instead of bashing everyone else!!

My next post will be about what it's like to live a poor life and to truly struggle!!