It's not the simple life

To say they are poor is too simple. In fact, there is nothing simple about being poor.

For the people who file into the Samaritan Center day after day, life is a series of complications.

Take Tom. He brought in a notice that his electricity would be shut off if he didn't immediately pay an overdue bill. The Samaritan Center paid the bill. But with practically no income, Tom was back a couple of months later in the same situation. His electricity would be shut off the next day. This time, the Samaritan Center was out of money for utility assistance.

"Do you want food today?" a volunteer offered.

"Well, I won't be able to cook it or keep it frozen," he said.

Tom was given a couple of bags of groceries without the usual meat and dairy products.

(The names here have been changed; the situations are real.)

Lucinda is an attractive blonde woman who came to the United States from Eastern Europe to marry an American. The marriage didn't work out, and she found herself alone in a strange country that doesn't understand her language. She comes to the Samaritan Center regularly, always wearing an expression that is somewhere between pain, fear and confusion.

"How's it going?" a volunteer asked as Lucinda came to the window to place a food order.

"Not good," she managed to say in clipped English.

Some bags of groceries would help for now, but it wouldn't solve her ongoing predicament.

Carla was just out of the hospital and was weak and frail and temporarily out of work. After a dispute with her landlord, she had been locked out of her home. She needed to get her medical supplies from the house, and that required legal help.

Ray came to the window holding his left jaw. His teeth were in so much pain he had missed work. His wife had to answer the questions to register Ray for a free dental appointment. But, with a shortage of dentists who provide charity care, the appointment would be weeks away.

Susie had recently left her apartment to her sister while she went to work for a few months in Kansas City. Her sister never paid the electric bill, and when Susie returned, the utility company was demanding $1,400. Even on a payment plan, she couldn't afford the monthly amount, and if she missed a month, the company would demand the full amount, she said. Her sister was jobless and couldn't help with the bill.

When Don came to the window, it soon became apparent that he suffered emotional problems. It was all he could do to stand there and answer questions that must be asked to complete his record with the agency.

Jamaal had trouble just providing a home address. He gave an address for a friend, but records showed it was not the correct address. Jamaal then said he was homeless.

"Where will you take the food?" he was asked.

There was never a clear answer, but he left with groceries.

Some who come to the Samaritan Center feel compelled to explain the misfortunes that brought them to the point of seeking help.

"It's just until I get back on my feet," one man said apologetically.

"That's what were here for," the volunteer said.

But, for many people who come to the agency seeking help, little is known about their situations. When they appear worn down, fatigued from the constant struggles, it's obvious it's not just a simple matter of being poor.

Comments can be e-mailed to Nancy Vessell at nvessell@mchsi.com or mailed to her in care of the News Tribune, 210 Monroe St., Jefferson City, Mo. 65101.