A Bronx Tale

Family Composition:

Ms. Jones* is a 67 year old female who lives with her 21 year old son, Billy Roberts*, and her four grandchildren. The granddaughters’ ages are 16 and 8 and the grandsons’ ages are 6 and 1. All family members speak English and are American citizens. All six family members live in an apartment together.

Case Concerns:

Main concern is finding enough food. Second concern is finding employment.

Medical Information:

All family members are healthy and have no chronic illnesses or health problems that affect work. The son, Billy, does have an anger management problem, but is working to control the issue. She is in the clinic for an annual check-up for a grandchild.

Action Plan:

In order to get food immediately, Ms. Jones was going to go to some local food pantries and get food for the next week. While waiting for the doctor’s appointment, she filled out a food stamp application and she was going to go to apply sometime within the week. She was also sent a job resource sheet and she was going to go to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau: Bronx Works to see if they could assist her in her employment search. A follow-up call revealed that the food stamp application process had been slowed, but she was put in touch with a man who could interview for food stamps over the phone. She was then unable to show up for a scheduled meeting for food stamps. Further steps will be taken to reschedule the meeting.

Social/Work History:

Ms. Jones has had some college education as well as many jobs in various fields such as secretarial work and care giving. However, now she is the primary caregiver for her grandchildren. Although she is healthy, she does get tired because she “running around” for her grandchildren. The living situation is suitable and Ms. Jones does not have a problem with their apartment. Ms. Jones desperately wants to obtain a job and hopes to do so in an area in which she has experience.

Story:

Ms. Jones and her son live with four children. They are both unemployed and they are not able to afford enough food to adequately feed everyone in the household. As the month goes on, the finances get tighter and food gets scarcer. Because both Ms. Jones and her son are unemployed, there is no steady income for the family. She is willing to travel for her job and/or receive specialized training. Her son is also willing to do the same in order to find a job. The first guardian to gain employment would keep his or her job and the one remaining unemployed would provide care for the children of the home. The main issue is the one concerning food. Ms. Jones was able to get food from food pantries and the food stamp application is still pending. The job application is still pending, but she has been put in contact with various resources. When Ms. Jones was last contacted, she was having trouble obtaining specific medical records for her grandson. She was helped with that and has since been out of contact. However, when further contact is established, a follow up on all issues will be made.

--Kathryn McCaleb, CC '11

Lost in Resource Translation

I. Client Name: A.C.*

This is a young West African immigrant mother of six (all 8 years old
and under) who does not speak English. She, her husband (who does
speak English), and her 6 children make up 8 of the 22 people living
in her 3 bedroom apartment. She and her husband both have Social
Security cards, and 5 of her 6 children were born in the US.

II. Case Concerns/Presenting Issues:

- Adequate housing
- Child's medical conditions exacerbated by living situation

III. Medical Info:

One of her children's asthma is aggravated by overcrowded apartment,
to a critical point.
All children testing positive for lead in their blood due to outdated
paint on walls.

IV. Social/Work History:

A.C. and her husband have been in the US for nine years and are
documented immigrants. A.C.'s husband has a steady job, but she
herself stays home to look after all the children. They receive WIC,
ACD subsidized childcare, and Medicaid, but no other public benefits.

V. Action Plan:

- A meeting with PATH office was arranged, but temporary home was
turned down by A.C.'s husband.
- Follow up with apartment A.C.'s husband knows about
- Search housing lotteries, add A.C.'s name to list, organize
appointments with landowners where appropriate.
- Get A.C. and her family set up with Food Stamps so that the part of
their income that usually goes to feeding 8 people can now be used for
other things, especially a cleaner apartment that would fit their
whole family in a healthy way.

VI. Story:

Although the situation is urgent, due to her children's medical
concerns (asthma and lead toxins), A.C.'s husband turned down the
temporary home the PATH office offered because he did not want to
"live with the homeless people." Following this, A.C. called, saying
desperately (through a translator) that she needed to move out, she
needed that apartment. She asked me to talk to her husband. When I
called her husband to talk about the issue, he said that he would be
meeting up with a man his boss connected him with, who was going to
rent him an apartment for just over what he could pay. The meeting
was rescheduled, however, and further follow up is needed. In the
meantime, I have been calling and checking up with A.C. to make sure
everything is okay. I am also setting up an appointment for them to
apply for Food Stamps so that if her husband is able to secure this
other apartment, they can use money that is now going for food toward
rent.

--Alexandra Woodward, BC '10