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8 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, October 17, 1979 Section Two Tragic Stories of Citizens Who Have to Seek Welfare by Carlene Kirby A home in the country, three lovely children, and 15 years of marriage behind them, Janet and Murray (not their real nanes) woke up one morning to find they just couldn't take it anymore. The house was mortgaged, the roof leaked,, the refrigerator had to be replaced and the furniture was beginning to look shabby. The children kept growing, their hand-me-down clothes had already been patched once too often, and their appetities couldn't be curbed any further. The first few years were fine, then the bills piled up and the arguments began. Janet knew nothing of keeping a budget, she had left school at 16 to be married. Now it was over. There was nothing to do but start again. The years had taken their toll and Murray had left. Janet would keep the house, the kids and as an extra bonus, Murray threw in a car. Now, she had it all, but what would she do with it? The expense of raising children alone would use up the $225 a month for support. But, there are bills to be paid. Not just those which had accumulated during the struggle, but the new ones that kept coming in. "You're in a situation you didn't ask for," Morris Honey- man, a caseworker with the Durham Region Social Services Department told Janet, as they sat over coffee in the dining room of her country home. "You can't get out of debt on assistance." Janet was Scared Janet was scared. She wanted to move, get a job, and start over. Selling the house, however, would increase her assets, and even with bills to pay the net gain might have put her above the level at which assistance is granted. To get a job, even one that only paid $200 a month, meant leaving her year-old daughter for someone else to raise. "She's a small baby and she's important to me", Janet said. "I don't want someone else raising my kid". But this is not the only drawback to working. A babysitter would be costly, and any income is partially deducted from. welfare benefits. If Janet were to work part-time, provided she could find work at all, on $200 a month earnings, $75 would be deducted from the $10.50 she receives now. It seemed to Janet like a penalty for trying to make her life a little better. Morris Honeyman suggested she approach Murray to have him take on more responsibilities for some of the debts. Janet rejected this idea. "I don't want to take all his money away. He has to live too. I want to be fair." She is not alone. Janet is only one case in a large number that Morris sees regularly every three months. Of all the people who collect assistance from the Ministry of Community and Social Services, 60 per cent of these are women in similar situations to Janet. And Janet is lucky. In most cases the support doesn't equal the welfare payment. Many women are beaten by their estranged husbands who drop off support payments personally. Even though restraining orders are issued, it is sometimes not enough to protect these women. Janet was one of two people wno aiiowea the Statesman to sit in on the meeting with Morris Honeyman, while he completed a Present Condition Report, in order to update thei' personalstatus for assistance. These appointments were set up in advance of the meeting in order to assure the client that the interview would in no way affect their claim. But even the promise of anonymity was not enough for most people. "I'r just too ashamed to have anyone know it's me", was the answer that Morris Honeyman was given to his request. "I was amazed at the reluctance of some people," Mr. Honeyman said. "Those that I thought wouldn't mind just refused." Prior to entering the home, each client was given the opportunity to change his or her mind, and was asked to sign a release agreeing to the visit. Originally there were three cases slated for interviews but on arriving at the house, it was found that one had decided against it. Morris explained that in addition to the General Welfare cases, he also takes care of nursing home applications, supplementary aid through family benefits, special assistance for Workmen's Compensation and War Veterans and their wives. Morris is also responsible to act as back-up court worker at the family court in Oshawa. In the Town of Newcastle, Morris is assisted.by one other full-time and one part-time case worker for the area. Newcastle also has the services of a family counsellor, David Radcliffe, whom Morris describes as extremely competent. Keyed into a Computer Prior to July of this year, all paper work was done by each caseworker by hand, and kept in files in the Oshawa office. Now, client information is collected on the initial visit and all information is keyed into a computer. This computer stores the information on each client, keeps records of certain clients on hold pending more information, looks after subsidies, and issues cheques. In order for a cheque to be issued, all pertinent information must be recorded, whereas the prior system allowed for a cheque to be issued at the time of notification of the missing information. It is important to note that in emergency situations, the computer function can be over-ri den. "It will give us more time to do the job we were hired to do," Morris said. "Before there was no time to talk, just ask the uestions, have them read the orms over and sign." -Morris said that he usually begins to make his update calls at 8 a.m., working through his lunch hour, he should finish for the day at 3:30 p.m. This is not always the case, Morris said, as most calls take up to one-half hour to complete and it is not unusual for a call to take as long as two to three hours. Often, Morris is lucky to arrive home in time for dinner. Heavy Caseload One would imagine that with the late hours, the heavy caseload and the nature of the work, that there would be a great deal of turnover in this line of work. Mr. Honeyman said that it seemed to be just the opposite. People involved in this job require a Bachelor or Masters of Social Work degree, or their equivalent. The rewards appear to outweigh the pressures. Welfare assistance is not what it appears to be either. The usual length of time a separated woman is on assistance ranges from three to six months, although some do run on a little longer. Single employables, by far the most controversial group aided, are required to submit active job search reports, which may be followed up with telephone calls to employers listed. "You have a gut feeling when someone is telling you the truth," Morris said. "And you can usually tell when someone is not serious". Single Employables Single employables, a name given- to- arnyone without Here's One That Didn't Get Away! Brian Bannister, a 16-year-old Bowmanville resident, landed this 18 pound Rainbow Trout last Monday. He was angling in Soper Creek near Bowmanville Zoo using a Mepps III with a 14 pound test line. When he left the Statesman office he was looking for the nearest taxidermist to have his prize mounted. dependents, regardless of marital status, who is capable of working, are cut off assistance in the summer because there is an abundance of jobs at that time. Morris said that often local employers will call him if an opening comes up, and he does not hesitate to refer one of his clients for the position. In special cases, assistance can be granted for a period of two weeks. This would occur when a client finds employ- ment out of town, but needs assistance to relocate and to provide a decent lifestyle for the family in lieu of the first pay cheque. Carries Food Vouchers Morris said that he always carries food vouchers to distribute to a client in the event of an emergency. Lately, a lot of information of teenagers leaving home and supporting themselves while at school by collecting welfare has been brought to light. This is not as prevalent as some would have us believe, he said. Young students in the Newcastle area, who apply for this assistance, are requested to see Mr. Radcliffé, the family counsellor. He will also speak with the parents in Trying to maintan compassion and impartiality while explaining the cold hard facts about assistance to a potential recipient is not always easy for an unidentified intake officer with the Department of Social Services. THE SIGN OF A GOOD BUSINESS NEIGHBOR ... THE SIGN OF A MERCHANT WHO CARES ABOUT PEOPLE ... This emblem identifies the civic-minded businessmen who sponsor n the community. For information calI Marg Bain Phon 623-2661 *On Uctober 2L1, 18 7 , order to arrive at some compromise. In these situations, Mr. Honeyman said, "the viewpoints are as different as night and day. It is up to Dave (Mr. Radcliffe) to decide who is right." Most of these cases are reconciled and the teenager remains at home. This is not true in every case, we must remember. Two Years to Canada Pension Another special case is that of Bill and his wife, Emma. Bill is just two years away from Canada Pension. His doctor has judged him un- employable for at least that long. Bill is not, however, an invalid. Bill's wife is a year younger than he. Living in their own home, not well enough to work but too young for pension, this couple had to turn to welfare for assistance. When Bill turns 65, he and his wife will receive a pension of $546 a month, for the two of them. "We'll be in clover," Bill said. This year, Bill explained they ran into a "series of unfoftunate events." The washer' stopped, the TV caused problems and the power mower "went on the fritz". Bill can't wait until he can get off welfare and live in style on his $546 a month windfall. His only regret is that he won't be seeing Morris anymore. It was reassuring for Bill to find out that Morris likes to keep in contact with his former clients. Even though he won't be around for the Present Condition Reports, he will be available. Janet and Murray, or Bill and Emma could be your neighbors. They are proud people getting through hard times the only way available to them. Only the names and any identifying information bas been changed to allow these people to continue living as they have been. Without the help of these people, we would not have been able to see how the other half lives. But it's just like Janet said, "You have to be on assistance to completely realize what it's like. Yelverton U.C.W. The Yelverton U.C.W. Ladies motored to Orono on Tues., Oct. 2nd to hold their meeting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Staples. The meeting was called to order by Pres. Mrs. Agnes Howe and opened with the singing of the Ode "Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen on Me." The hostess, Mrs. Vera Staples convened the Devo- tional as follows: Scriptures from Psalms 95, 107 and 118. Her topic was "The Spirit of Thangsgiving. The hymn "Come ye Thankful People Come" was sung and the devotional concluded with prayer. The roll call was answered by 14 members. President Agnes welcomed our new minister's wife, Mrs. Arthur Rodgers and a former member now living in Orono, Mrs. Frank Glasbergen Sr. Sect. Thora Gray read the minutes of the preceding meeting, Mrs. Audree Brown gave the Treasurer's Report and Mrs. Eileen Malcolm provided the Fruit and Flower report. It was decided to provide flowers for the funeral and donate to the Cancer Fund in memory of a former member and highly respected lady, Mrs. Margaret Heaslip who passed away suddenly of a heart attack this week in Lindsay. Among the notes of thanks there was a generous donation from the family of the late Wilbert Malcolm for providing lunch following the funeral recently. Mrs. Doris Rowan provided a run down of the baking list and job "opportunities" assigned for the upcoming Roast Beef Dinner. It was planned that there would be a carload of the U.C.W. ladies attend a rally in Trinity United Church in Bobgaygeon on Oct. 11th. The ladies plan on serving lunch at the Norman Wilson farm sale on Nov. 10th. The Mizpah Benediction concluded the official meeting. Mrs. Linda Pfoh demon- strated a variety of Hallo- we'en table decorations and favours. A lovely lunch was served by the hostess. Mary Moore and Thora Gray assist- ed by Vera Staples. The annual invitation to the Staples lovely home in Orono is much appreciated as is their kind hospitality. Yelverton Annual Beef Dinner on Thanksgiving Mon- day was rated very successful with attendance figures above last year's figures (around 600 served this year.) The im- pending rain held off until the evening was in the wane and so did not affect the attend- ance. The dinner provides a two fold effect - making a substantial boost to church coffers and brings the mem- bers of the community to- gether in a co-operative effort. Miss Candy Malcolm bas just returned home from spending a vacation in Van- couver and area, arriving home on Monday evening. We, the Harvey Malcolms and our daughters Mitzi and Mona enjoyed and weekend together at the Big Apple (New York.) As well as the usual sights and sounds, we spot checked a couple of their largest parades - the Polish parade which lasted over four hours and possibly the biggest and most elaborate parade of them all - the Columbus parade. Also took in a Broad- way show the Chorus Line, a nightclub dinner at the River- boat at the Empire State Building, a guided tour of the LetH Get Growing By Harry Van Belle The Amaryllis Bulb The Amaryllis is a member of the lily family, and is fast becoming one of the favorite bulbsor plants that are grown indoors, since you are always sure that a flower(s) will come out of the stock, and also the fact that you can watch it grow from nothing to a tall stately plant. Here are a few tips, to keep your bulbs for years to come and will increase the size of the bulb and produce more flowers. The bulb never goes into a complete dormant stage, so the roots should be well covered at all times so that they will not dry out. The bulb should be planted into a ssmall pot, it should only have about an inch of space between the bulb and the pot at the widest point of the bulb. It is very important to plant them into a rich humus potting soil, and it can be an advantage to use some compost to enrich the soil, or buy the ready mix that is available from your local flower shop and then add a small amount of perlite so that the mix becomes very open and the excessive water will drain rather quickly from the soil, add some bone meal to help the roots to form quickly and strongly and also helps the bud formation at the time of flowering since bonemeal contains a high proportion of phosphorus. The proper soil mix is very important because the bulb does not like to have its roots disturbed, and the plant is best left in the same pot for several seasons. city and harbour and endless hours of shopping which the girls referred to as the "Agony of Defeat" literally translated "Agony of the Feet". For those who are critical of our "Boys in Blue" in Canada, our police force stands well above that of our New York neigh- bors as to appearance, overall neatness, tidiness in clothes and tonsorial perfection. AI- though the report with the citizenry seems to rate quite high there. The city streets are certainly nowhere near as well kept as in Toronto. However, it is a very interest- ing city to visit with its various attractions and variety of things to do and see. By ear the inhabitants are composed of a wide variety of ethnic groups who live to- gether in relative harmony each doing their own thing in their own way. A very interesting weekend; have When potting cover the inside bottom with a half inch of stones, on top of this gravel add the potting soil to a point about three inches from the top of the pot, then set the bulb on top of the soil, and add one inch of soil around the base to steady the bulb. DO NOT bury the bulb any deeper than this. The bulb will start to grow immediately when moved into a warm room and place it in a spot that is bright, but not in direct sunlight. When the flowers are finish- ed keep the plant growing in a bright spot, water the bulb heavily until the middle of August, then cut back on the watering to force the bulb to go into its semi dormant stage, and after the first frost stop the watering altogether, then move the pot to a dry warm location and leave the bulb in the dry soil. A light misting in December or January will restart the life cycle once again. When the top growth is evident, replace the top two inches of soil with a fresh soil, mixed as before, then submerge the pot in a pail of water to make sure that all of the soil has been properly moistened. By repeating this cycle you can derive several years of enjoyment from your Amaryllis bulb. Amaryllis bulbs are now available, and they come in a beautiful range of colors, they can be potted now for Christ- mas gifts, or as a family project for the kids to get started in growing plants. Until next week, happy gardening. just become a chartered member of the N.Y.P.C.J.A. which is another tale. Sorry to have missed the farewell party on Friday even- ing for Mr. and Mrs. Allan Beer of Bethany who have moved out of our area. Margaret and Allin have always been most active in not only their own local communi- ty but in various activities in the overall Manvers Twsp. as well. Allan served as Reeve of Manvers Twsp. for a term and also was possibly the youngest Warden ever elected in the United Counties of N. and D. All join in wishing the Beer family the best in their new home. The two ball teams from Yelverton were no doubt given proper recognition for their winning ways this year at the banquet and dance held in the Community Centre, Manvers on Sat. evening. rrmnmrnrnrnrn mmmmmm mmmmmm mmmmq, SEEQOUR TEAM OF I *SPECIALISTSi 1. LORNE MacINNIS Management counselling, experienced counsellors assist owners - managers improve their methods. 3. BILL BEATTY Financial assistance, fin- ancing to start, modernize or expand your business. 2. LEO McCARTHY Information on government programs and management training. SAt FlIying Dutchrnan Motor Inn On Wednesday, October 24,1979 . Two short presentations 1. 9:30 a.m. 2.1:30 p.m.- " Individual discussions are encouraged " Join us for a coffee " No registration fee MANAGEMENT 22 King St. W. Oshawa Phone 576-6800 I 6mu mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm au TELEPHONE 623-6555 JOHN MANUEL, C.G.A. Income Tax and Related Accounting Services 118 King St. E., Suite 2 Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 1N4 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE NOTICE OF HIGHWAY CLOSING TAKE NOTICE that the Councîl of The Corporation of the Town of Newcastle, at a Council meeting to be held at the Council Chambers, Police Building, Bowmanville, Ontario, on Monday, the 19th day of November, 1979, at the hour of 7:00 o'clock in the afternoon, propose to pass a by-law to stop up and close those parts of road allowance being composed of all that portion of the original side line road allowance lying between Township Lots Eighteen (18) and Nineteen (19) in the Tenth Concession of the Geographic Township of Dar- lington, former County of Durham, more particularly described as follows: ALL AND SINGULAR that certain parcel or tract of land and premises situate, lying and being in the Town of New- castle, Regional Municipality of Durham, Province of Ontario, and being composed of all that portion of the original sideline road allowance lying between Township Lots Eighteen (18) and Nineteen (19) in the Tenth Con- cession of the Geographic Township of Darlington, former County of Durham, more particularly designated as Parts One (1), Two (2), Three (3), Four (4), Five (5), Six (6) and Seven (7) according to Plan 10R991, deposited in the Land Registry Office for the Registry Division of Newcastle (No. 10) on July 12,1979. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that at the time and place aforesaid The Corporation of the Town of Newcastle pro poses to authorize the sale of parts One (1), Three,(3), Four (4), Five (5), Six (6) and Seven (7) according to Plan 10R991 to abutting owners. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that before passing the said by-law Council, or a Committee of Council, shall hear in person, or by his counsel, solicitor or agent, any person who claims that his land will be prejudiciously affected by the by- law and who applies to be heard. DATED at the Town of Newcastle this 17th day of October, 1979. J.M. Mclroy, A.M.C.T., Clerk, Corporation of the Town of Newcastle, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, Ontario. 42-4 ____j