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Why do you keep pushing people to shelters? Lol. You should start one called Marilyn's House.
It's so funny you should say that, because I always said that if I had a big home, then I would let America's teenage throwaways have a safe place to stay and eat.
The world isn't so black and white. The Brady Bunch was a fictional family.
Good point, Seventh bro. In Mr. marylyn's little world, pointing troubled ppl to finding a job and becoming self-sufficient is not being helpful. By default, she directs ppl to all shelters, and preferablly, calling 311 first to find out if the 5-start shelters still have any vacancy before going lower...
Even though I said I would ignore you throughout the rest of my stay on this forum, I do need to clear up why I always offer up Covenant House.
I just moved back to the city last year, so this is the only place I know of that is STILL open for teens to go without reporting to the city their whereabouts. At least for the first few days.
Unfortunately, I don't know of any other safe places for them here.
If YOU do, then it would greatly help the OP and others she knows who might be in a similar situation.
Where have I "enabled" anyone in any of my threads?
All I've ever said is that YOUR tax dollars are going into the fund regardless of how you feel about it and if you ever need the safety net, then by ALL MEANS claim the monies YOU put into it until you can get yourself situated.
I don't believe in welfare lifers. Never have, never will. I am aware that for some people, they will never be functional members of society no matter what you do for them.
It's always been like this throughout history everywhere in the world.
Marilyn, you were probably born with a gigantic endowment, but numerous self-made people started out this way or worse than this. Why don't you donate part of your endowment to support these 19 yo who are too good to work instead of directing to the shelters?
I really, really WISH this was true. I would do it in a heartbeat.
She's 19 years old and you're telling her to get a JOB and rent a "room" as if $7.25 an hour working less than 20 hours a week will be able to pay her rent.
Then you say she should "save up" for an apartment as if she'll find a place that will actually rent to her.
I'm really surprised at you Seventh. Really, I am.
Anyway, I PM'd her some info. She'll be fine.
Rep Seventh!
That's exactly what I did. I went to school full time, paid for it all myself, rented a room for $700 a month, and worked 2 jobs which came to about 60 hours a week. When it's you and only you and you have no one to help you out you do what you have to. I survived.
It is possible that the OP is attending community college and there is no dorm.
Do you have a teacher at school that you could talk to? Explain the situation and ask him/her if you could use his/her name as a reference on job applications. Ask the teacher if he/she has any colleagues that need clerical help or someone to babysit or even to clean their house? Go to your academic advisor and tell him your situation and ask him if he knows of anyone who wants to hire a college student? Go to the college counseling office and explain your situation. Ask for counseling regarding your family situation and perhaps they could help you with a job search. Contact any teachers or guidance counselors that you were close with from high school. Ask them if you could use them as a reference for job applications and if they know of any job. opportunities.
If you are taking at least 12 credits and attending an accredited college and meet income requirements (which you will) you can get a federal work study job. They usually pay a little above minimum wage and I think you can work up to 30 hours a week. You probably will need 2 part time jobs to afford to live on your own, but it is doable. You won't sleep much and you won't be able to party at all, but you will be out of the bad situation. If you take a work study job, you will have to take it seriously and keep up your grades and remain in good academic standing. The school, even a community college, should have some sort of housing website or board to search for a room to rent.
OP, fortunately you do have sometime to get it together. If you go to a regular university, apply for student housing and move into student housing. Work out a deal with financial aid, and from there you can do some sort of work study job.
If you go to a community college where there is no dorm, if your grades were previously fine now is the perfect time to transfer into an university in whatever place that has student housing.
Or alternatively, if you're able to get a loan Education Housing Services specializes in renting out rooms to college students. Educational Housing Services
You could also ask around your university for what resources and assistance or recommendations they can give on jobs and housing. Also, go online looking for housing. Best place to rent a room in NYC is craigslist, newyork.craigslist.org. Or maybe some other friends of yours could rent a room or a basement to you if you got a job.
I tend to agree with those here who say only go to a shelter as a last resort. If you have a place to stay until next year there is no reason to rush to a shelter.
So there are things you can do. I see the shelter for only 2 things - having absolutely no other option whatsoever, or giving up.
All schools that accept federal aid offer the work study program, from CUNY to the Ivies. They also have career counselors and other resources on campus that advise students on getting jobs. This is pretty much any accredited college that accepts federal financial aid. So you're right. A combination of financial aid, money from my parents, and my working got me through my college years. I even worked jobs on campus. If all else fails, the OP could even get restaurant/bar jobs.
Devil's advocate - or someone who lives very very far away and does not get it, as has been suggested several times ...
Or alternatively, someone who has been on the dole for a very long time. I don't think anyone who wasn't personally on welfare long term would defend it so vigorously. Notice how everyone else in situations like this honestly tries to give advice on finding a job or housing, yet her first advice is state aid?
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