Welfare is an essential program. So many people fall upon hard times in their life and need a little extra help getting back on their feet. Assistance from welfare can be the difference between homelessness and returning to financial independence. Welfare is intended to be temporary, but it is not. Therefore, in addition to helping people, welfare is a program that has been exploited, and long term dependence has resulted in devastating poverty. While there are many government offices that help people find services, I would like to know, “What government department helps people get weaned off of government services?”
I still remember the first time I heard the word “welfare”. I was about 10 years old playing with my cousin at his house, along with two neighborhood boys. My cousin said something to the effect, “their dad is on welfare.” A little confused, I asked, what does that mean? Part of the explanation included that it meant that their dad spent his days in his backyard enjoying the sunshine. At 10 years of age my cousin clearly understood that his neighbor was taking advantage of welfare, a Federally funded temporary financial assistance program for needy families.
The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina further opened my eyes to the welfare system. Who among us can forget the images of impoverished Americans sitting on their roofs waiting to be rescued? Who can forget the images of people crowded together in the Superdome? Many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina were welfare recipients. Although welfare is supposed to be a temporary program, temporary is defined as 60 months in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In addition, extensions can be granted when individuals cannot find jobs. In Michigan, there are no limits to the amount of time a person can be on welfare. Over extended periods of time, dependence on welfare reduces resilience of individuals. When Hurricane Katrina welfare recipients were displaced, their lack of financial resources and skills complicated their personal recovery.
Once again, I gained perspective on the welfare system from a co-worker that had served in the military. My friend grew up in a very impoverished neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He and his brother were raised by single mother and they had been on welfare for as long as he could remember. In fact, it seemed everyone in his neighborhood was a welfare recipient. He remembered all his friends’ parents being home all day long. It wasn’t until he was 18 years old and had a chance meeting with an Air Force recruiter that he realized most people held jobs and worked during the day. The recruiter gave him a standard “Do Something Amazing” military pitch and promised to help him achieve his goals. Well, he signed up and eventually became a cyber security expert. Nowadays, he’s making a six-figure salary.
Hurricane Katrina victims and my friend’s neighborhood are examples of groups of people supported by welfare. In some cases, these families had been supported by welfare for generations. Government systems that help people temporarily who fall upon hard times are beneficial to communities, but how is temporary being defined? In Ottawa County, when needy community members find services, they are commonly referred to other departments where they can find further assistance. While this may be beneficial in the short term, it brings me back to the opening question: Which government department helps people get weaned off of government services? Maybe there is a grant for that?