Thirty Year Thursday: Eric

“I never thought I’d end up in that position,” Eric says over the phone, thinking back to when he first called MAC for assistance. “I graduated from college. I’d always had a job.”

Like many young people, Eric was working to achieve his dreams when financial crisis hit. He had held a solid job for the past couple of years, but he aspired to work at a university. He lived in an apartment downtown, but he hoped to one day own a home.

“It was a scary thing.” Eric continues, thinking back to the call he made in 2008, “having to ask for help.”

Eric lost his job, and his financial stability, during the recession. He was laid off in 2008, and he wasn’t able to find new employment until October of 2009. In this gap between jobs, his aspirations changed from wanting a university job and a new house to simply hoping he would be able to pay next month’s rent.

“All the jobs I was looking at were in the area,” Eric says. In the face of his financial crisis, his last resort was to move out of state to be near family that could support him. However, he didn’t want to be displaced from his long-time home and give up potential job opportunities.
“I didn’t want to leave,” he remembers, “But it seemed like the only option.”

Fortunately, Eric’s neighbor told him about MAC. She had also been laid off during the recession and received rental assistance. After talking with his neighbor, Eric called MAC, both uneasy about asking for rent assistance and afraid of what would happen if he didn’t get help.

Eric remains grateful that he made the call and that MAC provided him with one month’s worth of rent assistance back in 2008.

“It’s good temporary help,” he says on the phone during his lunch break. “Everyone at MAC was very nice, and they tried to understand my situation.”

This time around, a MAC staff member is calling him to thank him for his donation to our clothing closet. Now faculty at Clark-Atlanta University, Eric can afford his town home and donates clothes regularly. By paying one month of rent, MAC helped tide him over until he found long-term work.

“MAC opened up a space that allowed things to turn around for me,” Eric explains.“ I want to help other people out as thanks.”