I just returned from Saint Timothy’s Catholic Church after receiving some very unwelcome news. I had just entered the Front Office this morning and had just gotten a seat when Diane greeted me. “Good Morning, Robert”, she said. “Hi Diane”, I replied. “I’m afraid I have a some bad news for you. I spoke to Gary and the other gentlemen and I was told that we wouldn’t be able to help you with your copies and stamps anymore”. “That’s interesting”, I thought to myself.
There were a couple of occasions when their copy machine actually broke down while making copies for me – disrupting their front office and the routine of the staff. But more than that, I suspect that they weren’t expecting to make copies for me as much as they have. I had been conscious of this and made it a point to come by only once a week. Faced with the dilemma, I asked to speak to Gary and see if they could make an exception just for today. Unfortunately, he was gone. So, there I was with my papers unable to make copies and serve them to my opposition. I was disappointed beyond belief.
The churches have great programs for addicts, alcoholics, people with mental illness and people who just need a bridge to get over a touch patch. If you do not fall under any of those categories, as I do, it is virtually impossible to get the assistance that you need in exactly the way you want it. Over the many years, churches have been targets of scams by people posing as needy individuals and so they have learned to be skeptical and suspicious, to the detriment of people who are legitimately in need.
Most state sponsored social programs also have their challenges. Their desire to help everyone is hampered by the limited resources available to them – they only get an x amount of dollars every year. Given that, their priorities are usually focused on food and housing. So, if you enter their offices saying that you have food and are happy living in your car, they can’t help. They are the more averse if you tell them that you are in the biggest fight of your life and have legal cases that you are litigating and need copies and stamps.
My experiences tests what can be done with the limited resources available. I am trying cases without a law degree and by all accounts doing so as an indigent. For me it’s like climbing Mount Everest and learning as you go. The churches and Social Services can no longer help me. My very own family has even turned their backs on me. It’s exhilarating and full of pitfalls and heartache. And if there is anything that I have learned thus far, there are two things. First, you can only count on your own self. And second, President Bush’s “Faith Based Program” is a bunch of crock.
