Wanting to Move to Atl with a fresh start (Atlanta: section 8, foreclosure)

[ABetter2013]

Im from Ohio and nothing seems to be going positive For me no matter what.I am a single parent of a middle school age child. I have family but no help. None! I'm just to theso point where I'm fed up not having help from people I've helped in the past when I was on my feet. Now I need help and I can't get it. So I'd rather move from this depressing state I'm in and start new. I mean from the very bottom. So my questions are what shelters assists with mother's getting back on there feet having nothing ? Also also is it hard finding a job in the manufacturing business or temp agency right now? Any info or resources would be great.

[RoslynHolcomb]

Atlanta is no place to come for help getting on your feet. There are few if any social services here. Qualifying is a mess and the benefits are a joke. That's pretty much the story for the south. No place for poor people. Do not even THINK of coming here without a job. Rentals in good areas are sky high and Section 8 has a two year ir more backlog. Unemployment is high unless you have a science or technology background. Sorry to be negative, but if you're down on your luck this is no place to be.

[LynnHarris]

If you do plan on coming here, I would suggest leaving your child with a "trusted" friend or relative if that is possible. It will be much easier (if you are trying to come here without a job) to try and line up something without having to worry about the safety and well being of your child. It is hard trying to get social services as another poster indicated, however I would suggest trying to register with a temp agency in your area which has offices in Atlanta. They can transfer your testing results and resume to the Atlanta office.

Also, you may want to try contacting a company called Powerlink (http://powerlinkonline.com). They provide facility management services for large companies located in Ohio and Michigan. They also have an employee training center.

I will pray that a door opens for you which will help you begin a better life for yourself and your child.

[researchnerd]

It may sound harsh, but RoslynHolcomb is right - the job situation in Atlanta is not good, and winter is coming so the shelters will fill up quickly. We're on the slow end of the economic recovery here. Many people with years of experience and advanced degrees are still unemployed or underemployed, so they are doing many of the manufacturing and entry-level jobs until they can find something better. It could be several years until it improves.

The unemployment rate in Ohio for Sept 2012 was 7% - better than the US average. In Georgia it was 9%, so you may want to stay where you are. If you're looking for a new start, try Nebraska (3.9%) North Dakota (3%), or South Dakota (4.4%). Stay out of Nevada (11.8%) and California (10.2%).

[rzzz]

I wouldn't move to ND or SD if you need to live in a shelter. MN would be a better bet.

[cwkimbro]

The shelters here are no place to come to get on your feet. Many of them have gone away entirely. Section 8 is hard to come by and rent is currently high due to the foreclosure crisis.

The only benefit to moving here... that I will point out...and it does not fit your situation.

Atlanta is a great place to move to if you can secure a job ahead of time and are looking to buy... a home, condo, or townhouse. The prices are so cheap in some circumstances.

You won't find good schools this way, but you can find townhomes here for under $50,000.


The other thing I would point out... you're not in a good situation and perhaps people are not helping you out enough.

Make sure to stay around people you know! You are worse off in an area not knowing anyone at all, than you are in an area knowing people...even if they won't let you live with them. Little things can come up that you might be able to get help. Anything from emergency daycare to emergency car trouble. You're also better off finding at least a few character references for even a low-paying job. Also, make sure you're careful not to burn any bridges, because you get upset at lack of support. Being able to get some limited support in the future is better than none at all.

Move here and not know anyone.... and you don't have any of that.

The other thing I would point out is Texas fared better in the recession, has lower unemployment rates.... particularly for hourly wage jobs. Now I still suggest you follow the above advice, but you might have an easier time trying to secure work ahead of time (?)

[ATLTJL]

Where do you live in Ohio?

The nice thing about Ohio is it has many cities. So if you are in a small town, move to Cleveland, Columbus, or Cincinnati. The good thing about staying in the state is you can get the ball rolling on any state funded social services and they should be easier to bring with you within Ohio. Regardles of the no help you are receiving, you probably have at least one friend or family member who can help you out in a pinch with babysitting or whatever. If you come to Atlanta, you'll be moving to a brand new place where you know nobody and have no network at all. And you'll be really far away.

If I were you, I'd look to relocate within Ohio or if you must move to another state, I'd certainly seek one more progressive than Georgia when it comes to helping the needy. I would even consider Florida first because you can live there for less money and there are a lot more jobs in the service industry that you might qualify for.

In all honesty, it sounds like you feel like you've hit rock bottom and you need a brand new fresh start. I know it sounds good, but the problem is all of your problems are going to come with you except now you'll be in a place where you don't know anybody with all the same problems. Before you blow all your money on a move, contact a local social worker and find out what services are available for you where you are.

[PT 3000]

All of these comments sound so negative, pray for jesus to show you the way and if it's meant for you to come to Georgia he will make a way for you regardless of what negativity these other commenters are replying on here with, keep your faith and pray for an answer.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by PT 3000

All of these comments sound so negative, pray for jesus to show you the way and if it's meant for you to come to Georgia he will make a way for you regardless of what negativity these other commenters are replying on here with, keep your faith and pray for an answer.

This is not negativity, it's the reality, and telling this woman that she could come to Georgia as a poor single mom and get assistance would be a lie. RosalynHolcomb and others have told her the honest truth. Georgia does not offer many social services and according to the the Census Bureau, has the stingiest Medicaid program in the country.

If she doesn't have a degree, she is not going to be able to compete with the degreed people here already looking for work.

Unless you are going to open your home to her, it's not wise to tell a single mom with already no support to come on faith to a place that doesn't offer many--if any--social services. The shelters here for women aren't great and even with that, many of these sheltering or transitional programs do not provide assistance to people already not in their zip codes here.

[ATLTJL]

I just consulted Jesus.

He agreed that Georgia doesn't have very good social programs for the needy.

Then he asked if I wanted him to help apply winterizer to my lawn.