Portrait of a Welfare Recipient

I am not what most people expect when they think of someone who is on welfare from the state. I am a single mom who works from home as a freelance writer, homeschools my three children and tries to live as frugally as possible. I pinch pennies, shop thrift stores and yard sales, use coupons, repair things instead of buying new, pay taxes, don't use credit cards, drive an old used car that has no payment attached and I live in a mobile home that is not fancy in any way.

I have mismatched furniture that I bought for very little cash from local thrift stores or family members. My kids wear hand-me-downs and I save clothing as they outgrow and pass it along to friends who have children. I believe in sharing what I have.

I also receive welfare from the State of Illinois. My children and I receive Medicaid for our health coverage and I have a LINK food stamp card to help me buy food for my family.

I do not smoke, do drugs or buy lottery tickets and I am not lazy. I try very hard to make sure my kids and I are clean and groomed and I don't like to waste my money. I try to save money when I have extra but it isn't always easy to stretch things. I do treat my kids to McDonald's and myself to an occasional movie when I have extra money.

In order to make a little extra to help us get by, I have applied to dozens of local jobs over the past few months. I have applied for waitress jobs, retail jobs, secretarial jobs -- both full and part-time and any type of job that would offer me a paycheck. I was asked to interview for one job and even though I was highly qualified, I did not get it because my credit report was not good enough. It is difficult to have or care about a great credit report when you are more worried about scraping by and keeping your children fed.

I often see and hear people comment about welfare recipients and how they should "get a job" or how welfare recipients have an easy life. Believe me, my life isn't easy. If my car breaks down, I will have to wait until I can scrimp and save the money to fix it. When my television goes out (which it will eventually), we will be without a TV for a long while because I won't have money to buy a new one. If my kids need new shoes, I have to wait until I have extra money and will first check the thrift stores in an effort to save a few bucks.

Jobs in my area are few and far between and if they're hiring, I have applied but they're not calling. I am fortunate in that I am able to work from my computer and earn a small, but sufficient, income from my writing. I also do odd merchandising jobs in the local area to earn a little extra money. I work from home every day but occasionally take Sundays off. I work several hours a day and often late into the night after my children have gone to bed. Thankfully, because I work from home I am able to take breaks as needed and I can be with my kids.

Go to the dentist? In Illinois, there is only one dentist within a few hours of me who accepts my state Medicaid coverage. They are usually booked up a year or more in advance so it is difficult to make appointments and plan the hour plus drive. I am able to take myself and my kids to the dentist only when I have extra money to do so, which isn't often. My children have not had their teeth cleaned by a dentist in several years and I honestly can't remember the last time I had my teeth cleaned.

I work hard and I sacrifice to do the best I can for myself and my children. I do not like depending upon the State of Illinois for help, but I don't like depending upon anyone for help. I cannot afford private health insurance and even if I could, my 13-year-old son would be ineligible due to a pre-existing condition (Tourette's Syndrome) or if the health insurance company would cover him, it would cost an entire month's salary for a monthly premium. I am dependent upon Illinois for health coverage.

It is my hope to be able to earn enough money to afford to buy my own food and not rely upon the State, but that is a future goal because at this point I can't survive without the food assistance benefits. It is a blessing for my family right now.

I do not complain or gripe about these things -- this is just the way my life is. I realize there are people on welfare in all states who abuse the system -- who don't really need it, don't take adequate care of they children, spend their money frivolously and live a lifestyle that is way beyond their means.

I am not one of them. I am not proud to be on welfare but I am not ashamed of accepting help. I will do whatever is necessary for my children, and I will not abuse the system to better my situation. If I am required to get a drug test to continue receiving my benefits I will do so without complaint -- I have nothing to hide and my children are worth whatever I must do. I will continue to work hard for whatever I have and only accept help when I have no other choice.

This is my story, and a snapshot of my life on welfare in Illinois. I don't want sympathy because there is no reason to feel sorry for me and my children. We do just fine and our situation will improve at some point so I won't to reply upon the State of Illinois as much. It is my hope that others will understand that not all welfare recipients are lazy, worthless, wasteful, or abusing the system.