'One little thing': Layoffs, health problems hamper homeless family
JANESVILLE — Last fall, Mike and Cheryl Easton thought they were finally building a stable life together.
Mike, who often struggled to find work after serving time in prison a few years ago, had been working nearly a year at Green-Tek in Edgerton making greenhouses. Cheryl stayed home to take care of their three children.
But in October, Mike injured his rotator cuff and lost his job. He couldn’t find steady work, and the family built up a huge utility bill it couldn’t pay.
In late April, Mike, Cheryl and the children—8-year-old Adrian, 6-year-old Alexandria and 1-year-old David—moved out of their Academy Street apartment and into House of Mercy, a homeless shelter for women and families run by Mercy Health System.
“It just came to the point where we just kept getting farther and farther behind, and out of fairness for (the landlord) and for us, we just said we can’t go like this any longer,” Mike said.
The Eastons’ story is fairly common at the shelter, said Ron Del Ciello, House of Mercy director.
House of Mercy is an emergency shelter, meaning it’s a last resort and residents can stay only 30 days. Almost all of the shelter’s residents fall into at least one of three categories, Del Ciello said:
-- Single-parent families.
-- People with chronic problems, such as alcoholism or drug abuse, who have gone through rehabilitation and are trying to make fresh starts.
-- Families that have had temporary setbacks, such as an illness or job loss
The Eastons fall into the last category, Del Ciello said. He sees many families with parents who manage to pay the rent with low-wage jobs, until calamity strikes.
“The amazing thing is they can hold it together,” he said. “But one little thing happens, an illness where they’re off work, problems with transportation, anything … ”
Troubled background
For Mike, 27, injuring his shoulder was the latest in a long line of problems. He grew up in foster homes and got into trouble as a teen. He partied, drank too much and built a criminal record, he said.
In 2002, he was sentenced to three years in prison for felony theft.
“Before I went to prison I was—I don’t know how you want to say it—a creep,” Mike said. “I was no good, ya know? Just out for myself. I burned a lot of bridges in a lot of places.”
But Mike tried to turn his life around after leaving prison. He gained custody of his two children, Adrian and Alexandria, and soon met Cheryl, 41. The couple had a third child, David, and married in 2007.
But Mike found that rebuilding his life wasn’t so easy.
“I’ll do good for so long, and something will happen with my job,” he said. “It seems, like, impossible for me to get anywhere.”
Another calamity
A week after the Eastons moved into House of Mercy, things were starting to look up for the family. The children had made friends at the shelter and liked playing on the playground in the backyard. Mike had found a job making $8.50 an hour at Rock Paint Distribution in Milton. Cheryl was looking for a job, too, even though she had been having dizzy spells and migraines for a few months.
The family was hoping to save money from Mike’s new job to get an apartment when its 30 days at the shelter were up.
Then calamity struck again.
First, Mike was laid off from his new job.
Later that week, as Cheryl prepared to go job-hunting, Mike noticed she seemed pale and weak. He convinced her to go to the emergency room.
Cheryl suffered a stroke in the hospital waiting room. She was flown by helicopter to University Hospital in Madison, where doctors discovered she had a blood clot in her neck.
“It was a horrifying day,” Mike said.
Since then, Cheryl has had a series of tests in Madison. BadgerCare, the state insurance program for low-income families, will pay for most of her medical expenses. But she hasn’t been able to look for a job, and Mike has had to spend the money he’s made working odd jobs through the shelter on gas to get to Madison.
But Mike was glad the family was living at House of Mercy when Cheryl had her stroke, he said. The staff and volunteers took care of her that day and in the time since.
He hates to think of what could have happened if Cheryl had been alone in their apartment when she had her stroke.
“I would’ve been at work. Cheryl would’ve went off to go look for a job or she would’ve been at home completely sick,” he said. “She would’ve been sitting there in that house with David, and she probably wouldn’t be here today.”
Rebuilding again
By May 28, the Eastons were again trying to rebuild their lives. Their month at the shelter was up, and they were moving the next day into Mike’s father’s two-bedroom home.
Mike was hoping to find a new job or be rehired by Rock Paint, but the first priority was caring for Cheryl, he said. The family was waiting to hear if Cheryl would need heart surgery.
The children had mixed feelings about living at grandpa’s house, Mike said.
“We’ve been talking to them about it, ask them how they feel,” he said. “Adrian, he’s OK with it. Alex, I don’t think she’s OK with it because she knows that grandpa don’t like no one walking over him.”
Mike’s dad is happy to have them, he said.
“He’s been wanting us there for a long time because he enjoys our company and he uses my help all the time,” Mike said.
“It’s just, it’s a small place, but we’ve really got no other situation.”
Aug 29, 2008 at 7:28 p.m.
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Thank you---The women are left to take care of these kids on their own but yet they are the ones who get the blame. It takes 2 to tango but 1 to raise a child???
Aug 27, 2008 at 5:46 p.m.
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pwrtrip- Oh yes, I've made that mistake constantly. I mean to buy a used Chevy Cavelier but end up in a 2008 Cayenne. I just don't know how it happens!
I think the ONE thing that infuriates me the most regarding this is the placing of blame on the women for having these kids. What is comes down to is blaming women for choosing to have sex. We're supposed to be good girls and please our partners, but say NO to sex, and if we do get pregnant, don't have an abortion because then you are a killer. But if you raise the kid instead of giving it to a rich couple, then you're still irresponsible.
Either way, the production of illegitimate children does NOT rest squarely on the shoulders of the mothers. Require birth control for welfare mothers? How about requiring all men to get a vasectomy and freeze their sperm so no children are born by accident?
Funny how so much blame is put on the females, but start suggesting that men have restrictions placed on their gonads, and people think it's a violation of privacy.
Aug 25, 2008 at 5:12 p.m.
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BTW-2 of my kids were conceived while ON birth control. So should I be reprimanded for not having abortions? That wasnt the point.Dont get me wrong, we are getting by. But my point was that alot of this poverty could be avoided if the dads(or moms) accepted responsibility and took care of their obligations. I am doing my part.If I was paid all the support I am owed, I would have over 40,000.
Aug 25, 2008 at 1:22 p.m.
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5 kids? Not being rude but I see quite a few girls out there in your shoes, Birth control was a very cheap alternative and they chose not to use it. Now they are stuck with kids and deadbeat dads. This situation is something women should be taught about early in life. Dont buy a Porche if you cant afford payments on a Kia, Dont have a bunch of kids if you cant afford it....its really quite simple. Self control issues.
Aug 25, 2008 at 9:53 a.m.
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Please also be aware, when thinking of delivering a "dirty look" to those using the little blue Forward card at the clinic, that not everyone who has a forward card is using MA. Some are on Badgercare Plus and pay a premium for such health insurance. I believe that this service, both MA and discounted assistance is a great thing for the children of our state. Now if everyone would just get over the stigma and help each other out instead of judging. Good luck Mike. And good job for overcoming your past.
Aug 24, 2008 at 6:22 p.m.
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I bet AT LEAST 50% of the families seeking state help are single mothers that DO NOT receive their rightful child support. Get some of these deadbeat dads to get up off their butts and trying to live off of other people. I have 5 kids... I receive support for 2 kids, work full time at a job I have been at almost 9 years. I make under 11 dollars an hour. They give me 100 dollars in foodshare, I pay almost 600.00 in rent and my budget for utilities is like 300.00. Everytime my wages go up, my foodshare goes down and rent goes up. I believe there is a hole in the system and some of us are in it.
Aug 24, 2008 at 3:49 p.m.
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It is true that people get looks and are treated different when they have food stamps. I think it is because of individuals who abuse the system and take advantage of it. I have seen many people fill their shopping carts with junk foods and soda and then use their food stamp cards. I personally think that is an abuse of the system. There should be restrictions about the type of food one can purchase with food stamps. That's why I think WIC is such a wonderful program. Individuals are only allowed to purchase healthy foods.
Aug 24, 2008 at 2:06 p.m.
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My heart goes out to this family! A few years ago, while I was trying to finish my RN degree, we had to ask for assistance ourselves. I know how bad things can happen to good people. It can be so hard to get ot of a rut when things keep happening. I did actually snap at someone once when they were giving me the disgusted look when I was using my MA card. By the time I got done with them, they were apologizing for pssing judgement. None of us on this earth have the right to pass judgement. Mr. Easton made some poor choices in the past, but he has taken responsibility for his choices and is trying to move on. He deserves the chance. Thank God Mike's dad has opened his door for this family. Hopefully the bad is behind them and they can move forward. I hope Cheryl has a full recovery, she is young and that will help her gain back as much as possible. Maybe they can qualify for a program such as DVR or one of many others and be able to go back to school for retraining. These progras have helped many. Cheryl should definitely qualify when she is better. This family is an example of exactly who deserves the many programs out there. I agree too many abuse these programs and should be off.
Aug 24, 2008 at 12:09 p.m.
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I have to hand it to the Easton family for continuing to try during such nasty circumstances. I might have given up if faced with such problems. These are the kinds of families and circumstances that the Public Assistance programs were created for. Kudos!!
Aug 24, 2008 at 9:08 a.m.
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I've seen the looks food stamp users get from the general public at the grocery store, or the sneering people withstand when they use their Badgercare cards at the clinic, and I hope that as our city and society as a whole is changing and our economy is facing a recession, people will realize that things likee this could happen to anyone! And now with the job market and the closing of so many businesses in our area, many more of the sneerers are going to be applying for these helpfull state programs. Have compassion for those families just trying to make ends meet. Especially when children are involved. It's not their fault that their parents have had to overcome problems and mistakes and they deserve the help. And lets kick the program abusers off the programs or give them some limits, so some of the rest of us that cannot use the programs because there aren't enough to go around can get a chance to have the boost of help we need, so we can then pass the resources on to others that can use it.
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