I was working full time 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, $7 an hour, paying $165 child support minus uniform, minus taxes, minus health. I was living in a single room in a crack house and I couldn't afford it. Bringing home $62 a week after all that, and that's what I had to eat off. It was rough and I did it for two years. I finally went on DSS because I was better off.
After I lost my house and my wife, I was diagnosed with depression. But I worked for ten years, and losing all that will put a damper in your life. I had a house, had a nice job, and then I got served a divorce summons and I had to leave the house. She had a boyfriend I caught her with and that was it. I went to my sister's for two days but I had to leave because she is a really really bad raging alcoholic. She took all the money I had in my pocket and ordered me to give her more and I didn't have it. So I went out on the streets. I was working full time at Rochester Steel Works 5 1/2 days per week at $7 per hour and it wasn't enough to cover everything. I lost the job because I was sleeping in the garage of the public safety building, and the police were cool about it they knew I worked every day. One of the officers felt bad and used to bring me coffee and donuts every morning. I did this until I finally had to leave the job. My physical appearance was deteriorating. I had no place to shower and no place to wash my clothes. I lost my job. Depression contributed too.
I have DSS and I live in this building the Elk hotel but they charge so much I don't have any money left over. I'm in a drug program but it's ridiculous because I haven't used drugs in 15 years. I am in an alcohol program now. It's a waste of time. I never completed a program before so they say even though I don't use drugs I must complete this program to get DSS benefits. They're wasting tax payers money for something I don't even do.
