Cindy Goodwin
Island Forum
Some of your neighbors are feeling the downturn in the economy. At Youth and Family Services (YFS), use of the food bank is up close to 73 percent higher than last year. Requests for rental assistance or housing funds have increased drastically, and this past winter more Islanders than ever before asked for help paying their utilities. Of all Islanders asking for assistance in the past year, close to half came from people who had never before used YFS services.
Losing a job or a decrease in one’s income is always difficult for an individual and members of their family. YFS staff see Islanders coping with the economic downturn in the following ways:
An increase in fighting, discord and stress as divorce proceedings are halted due to financial considerations.
A change in college plans because investments no longer cover the expected expenses or a parent loses an income.
Individuals borrowing money from friends and family to pay monthly expenses — this might be the first time this person has ever asked another individual for money.
A senior helping their adult child (either financially or by providing housing) who has become unemployed and is living on savings.
An elementary school-aged child with increased anxiety from the changes he senses in his family and greater community.
Losing a job or income is one of life’s biggest stressors and can shake the foundation on which most of us live. Often, people are left feeling isolated and, if the situation lasts too long, hopeless. Many Islanders have experienced a high level of professional success, resulting in a high level of control over their lives and a comfortable lifestyle. When accustomed to this situation, finding oneself suddenly unemployed might carry with it an uncustomary sense of failure. These feelings can lead to the misperception that it is something the individual did wrong and can lead to an ensuing depression. For these folks, emotional and social recovery can be slow.
As your social service department, Youth and Family Services is:
• Increasing employment assistance through the Job Finder’s Club and individual financial assistance.
• Partnering with more community groups to keep the food pantry stocked.
• Providing housing/rental assistance.
• Ensuring that counseling is available for everyone regardless of their ability to pay.
As a friend, concerned community member or neighbor, there are some small things that you can do to ease the difficulty of friends and neighbors. Make contact. To the degree that you know someone, ask how they are doing. Many Islanders will always look healthy and seem to be thriving despite economic stress. However, given the invitation, they might like to talk about their concerns. As with any human difficulty, simply talking alleviates some of the burden. The idea is not to fix the problem, but you will remind each other that you live in a caring community. Creating such a community requires the mutual investment of its members. Remember, it is you who are the best part of your community. You make Mercer Island a safe place to live. You participate in civic activities. You watch each other’s children grow up and parents age. There will be times in your life and the lives of your neighbors when simple human contact serves as a reminder that it’s ultimately those casual relationships made over the fence, over coffee and over time that sustain us during our challenges. Our community relationships will help pull us through the current crisis as they have through those of the past.
Cindy Goodwin is the director of Youth and Family Services. She can be reached at cynthia.goodwin@mercergov.org or (206) 275-7749.
