Voices of Poverty
From time to time LIFT will bring you personal tales of low income life. Excerpts are found below, and you can click on the link at the end of the excerpt to download the full story in PDF form. If you would like to make a contribution to this page, please e-mail your piece to info@lift.to for consideration.
Getting Off Welfare
“So, here you are. All your life you have been self-sufficient and now you find yourself in this place. Feeling a little ashamed, perhaps? Voices whispering in your ear, ‘What’s the matter, loser, can’t you find a job?’ No, not yet? Well, while you wait, let me tell you about some of the experiences that are coming your way.
Never been treated as if you were a despicable liar? This service is provided at intake and with each subsequent visit to your local Ministry office…”
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Life on Welfare
“there isn’t much they do for you except give you the means to forget you’re poor for 48 hours; then you’re right back where you started with nothing but six cushions to sleep on and a cardboard box for a bedside table. i wake up in the morning and i know that if i open the fridge, all i’m going to see is my 27-year-old roommates’ vinegar bottle jostling for space with the mustard, ketchup, and Metamucil. his clean needles are on the coffee table. i’ve been living on mr. noodles for two weeks. so i roll myself a cigarette out of the butts in the giant stolen ashtray which is probably the nicest thing in the apartment. is there any money left? i spent it on groceries ‘ the $60 i had left ‘ and my roommates ate everything but the fucking mr. noodles. nobody in my place bothers to change clothes before we go to bed…”