Thirty Year Thursday: Gloria
A self-described “helper,” Gloria usually supports others in times of need. She has a human services background, and her most recent job as a parent liaison for a charter school allowed her to foster communication between teachers and families. When she found herself in need of financial assistance, this familiarity with social work proved a challenge.
“Being the one who needed help was difficult for me,” she says. “I had also heard so many stories from past clients about how stressful the process was. They would have to wait in long lines or no one would answer the phone when they called.” With this knowledge, Gloria was anxious about seeking assistance. She remembered Midtown Assistance Center from one of her past jobs.
“I didn’t even know if you all served my area code,” she says, “but I decided that I needed to give it a shot.”
Gloria’s trouble started when she lost her job at a charter school last summer. In an effort to stay afloat, she worked as a substitute teacher for eight months and applied for unemployment while she searched for a new full-time job. However, around May of this year, schools closed for summer, substitute teaching positions became scarce, her unemployment payments stopped, and she began to fall behind on her bills. By late June, Gloria had found a job at a non- profit organization doing the work she loved for a good salary. Even with this new job beginning soon, she wasn’t sure how she would she would catch up.
Gloria says that she was “shocked” by the quality and speed of the service she received at MAC. She called and spoke with a MAC staff member in the morning, scheduled an appointment, and had her rent and utilities paid that same day.
“From my first phone call, it was the most dignified and welcoming process ever,” she says.
“Compared to what I had heard about trying to get help, everyone was kind and accommodating.” She also commented that MAC’s volunteers were helpful and treated here with respect as well.
“I didn’t feel bad about asking for help,” she says. She claims that the attitude and atmosphere at MAC made the process bearable for her, and she continually tells her colleagues, “they are really good there.”
Gloria’s new job as a case manager for family support programs at a non-profit organization close to her home has gone well thus far, and she is grateful to be in a position to help others again. With the financial assistance from MAC, she won’t have to worry about back due rent or her lights being shut off while she waits for her first check, leaving her free to support her own clients through difficult times with the same respect and attention she received.