By Jessica Hopper, Tim Sandler and Cristina Boado
Rock Center
Before the sun rises, Cindy and Patrick Kennard wake their three daughters, fold their cots in a Sunday school classroom and pack their lives into suitcases.
“This is an every Sunday ritual,” said Cindy Kennard. “It’s something that we do every week and so it just becomes natural. We know the best thing is to get up and keep moving.”
The Kennard family of five from Johnson City, Tenn., is homeless. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Kennards is that despite their homelessness, they are still a working family. For the last seven years, Patrick Kennard has worked a full-time job with benefits at a bank call center and until recently, Cindy Kennard worked as a director of a daycare facility.
Photo credit: Ann Curry
Cindy and Patrick Kennard
“When we fell, we fell hard and we fell fast,” Cindy Kennard told NBC News’ Ann Curry in an interview airing Thursday, Nov. 29 on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams.
The Kennards are one of a growing number of working families who have become homeless. In the wake of the recession, experts say that families like the Kennards represent a historic juncture when it comes to homelessness in America.
“It’s hard sometimes for people to appreciate. They’re so used to the stereotyped homeless populations, the visible homeless, if you will, who live outdoors in public locations and they’re not aware that there are literally hundreds of thousands of people, many of them working, who are homeless as well,” said Dennis Culhane, a University of Pennsylvania social policy professor whose research focuses on homelessness.
Photo credit: Ann Curry
The Kennard family settling in at another church shelter. Each week, the family stays in a different Sunday school classroom.
The number of people in homeless families living in suburban and rural areas rose nearly 60 percent during the depths of the Great Recession, according to figures from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). More than one million school-aged children are now homeless, according to the Department of Education.
“There are more children homeless now than have ever been before,” Culhane said.
WATCH VIDEO: No Place Like Home: Working families increasingly homeless
For Patrick Kennard, the feeling that he’s failed his three daughters, 9-year-old Jillian, 14-year-old Melodie and 16-year-old Brianne, sends him into despair.
“I think I could have handled this whole situation better had it not been for the fact that I was taking my three children into it with me,” said Kennard. “They didn’t do anything to deserve this. They didn’t do anything. They’re totally innocent.”
How to help the families featured on our show
Photo credit: Ann Curry
The Kennard family (clockwise starting on far left): 16-year-old Brianne Kennard, Cindy Kennard, 14-year-old Melodie Kennard, 9-year-old Jillian Kennard and Patrick Kennard
Cindy and Patrick Kennard, married 19 years, worked hard to pursue the American dream. They have college degrees. Both tried to build their savings as they worked. Their dream began to crumble when Patrick Kennard suffered kidney problems that led to expensive hospital stays and mounting medical bills. Even with the health insurance he had from work, the family still owed around $5,000. Their car broke down repeatedly, costing them more than $3,000. The couple's debt began to mount. Combining their student loan debt and medical bills, they found themselves more than $35,000 in debt.
Unable to afford child care, Cindy Kennard was forced to quit her job leaving them with only her husband's income, around $35,000 a year. The family was living paycheck to paycheck and still did not have enough to cover their monthly expenses. They became behind on their rent. They downsized to a cramped two-bedroom apartment from their more spacious four-bedroom apartment. Again, they were unable to afford rent and were evicted.
“I wanted to dig a hole and let somebody cover me up,” said Cindy Kennard.
The youngest Kennard, 9-year-old Jillian, took the eviction news especially hard. “I was scared because I loved the house and I didn’t want to leave it,” she said.
The Kennards pondered living in their van or at a campground. They made heart-breaking decisions, including pawning their wedding rings for $100.
Photo credit: Ann Curry
Cindy and Patrick Kennard holding hands.
“One of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do was to sell my wedding band,” Patrick Kennard said. “That ring on my finger meant the world to me.”
For Cindy and Patrick Kennard’s daughters, being homeless means living a life of uncertainty and sometimes shame.
Through tears, 16-year-old Brianne described the hardest part about being a homeless kid: hoping no one finds out.
“Sometimes when we’re on our way to school, we have to ride up here in, like, a church van and people can probably see that and then they probably wonder why,” Brianne said. “But people finding out is probably one of the scariest things.”
Brianne has told a few of her close friends who have kept her secret. She was willing to speak publicly about it for the first time because she wants to help other kids like her.
“When we became homeless, we lost everything but our faith and that’s what I would say is don’t lose your faith,” said Brianne of her advice to other homeless families.
Nine-year-old Jillian also feared telling classmates about her family’s struggle.
Photo credit: Ann Curry
Jillian Kennard built the bird house pictured and carries it with her from shelter to shelter because it reminds her of her old house.
“I didn’t want everybody to laugh at me,” she said.
When her friends left school and returned to their homes, she went to a shelter. Jillian said, “I felt happy for them because they had a house and I didn’t.”
The red-headed little girl clings to a pink bird house she built out of popsicle sticks, glitter and glue because it reminds her of the family’s old home.
She sometimes has nightmares and dreams of one day having a slumber party in her own room with a bed covered in Tinkerbell sheets.
The family has moved 15 times in the last four months. Through a church and community program sheltering homeless families called the Interfaith Hospitality Network, the family rotates to a different Sunday school classroom each week.
“I had the stereotypical man holding up the sign, ‘Will work for food, have family, need help’ and I never realized how close I was to being that person,” Patrick Kennard said. “Homelessness can happen to anybody. We’re proof of that.”
Brian Rosecrance runs the Interfaith Hospitality Network’s chapter in Johnson City, Tenn., that’s been helping the Kennards as they find their financial footing. He said he has seen a distinct change in the families seeking help.
Photo credit: Ann Curry
“In the past three, four years, we’ve seen higher-educated people. We’ve seen people who are currently employed coming to us. We’ve seen a lot of families with job layoff situations where they were laid off a month or two ago and now they’re homeless,” Rosecrance said.
Rosecrance said his waiting list of families needing help continues to grow. Part of what makes the Interfaith Hospitality Network unique is that it allows families to stay together.
“One thing that I've seen for as many years as I've been doing this is a real resilience with these families,” Rosecrance said. “And I think that's the whole secret. That, you know, mom and dad don't have to go one place while the kids stay with other relatives or they don't have to be separated in a shelter between men and women.”
Advocates say there are not enough shelters for the nation’s new wave of homeless families and many shelters separate men and women because of security reasons.
Shaun Donovan, the secretary of HUD, said that shelters must begin to use their funding differently to accommodate the rise in homeless families. He acknowledged that family-friendly shelters are under-funded.
“I’m not satisfied that we have the full amount of resources that we need and we will continue to fight for more,” Donovan said.
Donovan said he is working on an ambitious plan to reach families before they become homeless.
“I absolutely believe and the president [President Barack Obama] has fought for greater investment in homelessness in making sure we have adequate shelter, but also in making sure we have new, innovative directions that we can go to prevent it,” Donovan said.
Photo credit: Ann Curry
The Kennard couple outside what will be their new apartment.
Back in Tennessee, the Kennard sisters say that they are learning unexpected lessons from homelessness.
“I’ve learned to love more, to love more people, to love the family more and love the outside world,” said Brianne.
The family recently received some good news. The church shelter they’ve been staying in offered them a grant to help them pay rent for up to five years. The family is expecting to move into a four-bedroom apartment next week.
Perhaps Jillian will now be able to put down her bird house and decorate her own room with Tinkerbell décor.
Photo credit: Ann Curry
Jillian looking at her birdhouse.
To help the Kennard Family: Email kennardfamily5@gmail.com
To help Darlene Gaines and her sons: Email Darlenegaines2012@gmail.com
Editor's Note: Ann Curry's full report airs Thursday, Nov. 29, at 10pm/9CDT on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.
Additional Resources:
Organizations Featured in Our Report
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Government Organizations
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Homeless Resource Exchange
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
Homeless Advocacy Groups
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Alliance to End Homelessness
Leave a Comment:
Regardless of the expressed and implied specifics of this family's predicament, the article BOLDLY warns of what we are all experiencing: a slow, persistent and yes, excruciating reduction in the quality of our life caused by far less income coupled with rsising costs for basic needs. In this, we all can relate.
Widespread, UNDEREMPLOYMENT (ageism, global market forces, education, and chronic unemployment) whether by choice or by economic force, is creating a real diabolical pressure toward us all feeling 'invisibly homelessness.' Regardless of your 'life' situation today, in general in the US after 5 years contraction, the cupboards are truly bare, savings nil, retirement is for the majority an unthinkable dream, our health a constant juggle/worry, our kids opportunities stifled and our income creating assets and tools (e. g. transportation/ education) ailing. We've toughed it out so far but now its more than a few cracks in the foundation; this is systemic continuing economic sea change.
The remedy? Fully and honestly engage the realities and then ACT to change faster and in advance rather than become victimized by poor choices or non-action.
The call then is clear; let's stop reacting and start pro-acting. Economic trends will not abate but we can adjust faster than we have and avoid personal fiscal cliffs and assist others toward same. Tough times call for tough choices and earlier so. Not making them is a choice itself, and one that leads to homelessness.
I am currently in bankrupcty, trying to ward off foreclosure, and I understand this situation completely. Medical bills have to be paid over rent (or mortgage), because if you don't, there is a very real risk the healthcare for your chronic condition will be denied to you. If that happens, that will begin a rapid downward spiral into things far worse than being homeless (invalidity, brain dysfunction, or death). It's a basic need for survival.
Chairities and government programs won't help because the federal poverty level is set far too low - it would have to be increased by 250%, or more, to even begin to accomodate the changes in medical costs that have occurred over the past 15 years. The new bankrupcty laws are a disaster as well for the same reason - median income in most states is insufficient to pay for any serious chronic condition.
This is precisely why there needs to be a public option. The for-profit model for healthcare just isn't working anymore - all it's doing is stuffing the pockets of the 1 percent, and shifting more healthcare resources towards the wealthy, while depriving EVERYTHING from the rest of us. It's inhumane, and it needs to be corrected immediately - it should be our country's highest priority.
The last thing we need is anything Obama wants for this country.
Have you not noticed that nothing he has done works? Everything just gets worse?
Take a lesson from history. IT never works.
We should repeal Obamacare, so that we can all be homeless despite working hard, just because of medical bills.
So people were against Obamacare because...why again? This family pays taxes!
Wow, a lot of very judgmental people. You think this could never happen to you, think again. It happened to me, and some understanding and empathy would go a long way. None of you have any idea what you are talking about.
Actually we do. Just because we were prepared with savings and insurnace and health coverage does not mean we don't know what we are talking about. Too many people don't plan and spend every penny they have and then some.
Glad to know there is intelligent life out there, Thank you!
One can plan , spend and save responsively and still be faced with losing their housing. My sister (62), a social worker was told she had breast cancer a year ago. She had already been laid off and collecting unemployment. Since she was no longer able to apply for work, she dropped unemployment and filed for SS short term disability. Well, it took a year of zero income to finally be approved for disability. My sister was able to pay school loan( for going back to school for MSW), rent, food etc for 11 months. She was also received financial support form family, church member, neighbors. On the 12th month she didn't have the funds and her landlord took her to court and tried to evict her. The court decide in her favor and gave her an extension. We also have a family friend that offered her rent free place to stay until her name comes up on waiting list.
Fortunately,we live in Massachusetts. Her cost for healthcare has been very affordable.
So, don't be so quick to pass judgement as to how and why. If you are not the people's shoes, you don't won't know why they made decisions they did.
Housing cost are different in states. In Massachusetts, a basic one bedroom can cost an easy $1600.00 a month. This does not include utilities.
Mrrationalthoughtre: Your time will come when you have a hardship maybe an incurable disease. All the planning and saving in the world won't help you. Beware of Karma my friend. God gets a good laugh when people say their life is planned.
Stepa, I base my life on reality, not imaginary musings of a long dead culture. And yes, the planning will help; that is the point.
No, most people realize that because Obama is President again, it will be happening more and more to a lot of people.
That is why people have to prepare for the worst financial disaster in this country's history.
It sounds like the family this article describes could have benefitted greatly from some simple financial advice. If you can't afford all of your liabilities, you don't fall behind on your rent first, you call and get your student loans deferred or the payment reduced, then stop paying other debt. First priority is to keep a roof on your family's head, food, heat, then go from there with what is left.
Their problem started with student loans. They borrowed money for college, graduated and began working while paying back two student loans, which made saving difficult. One of the problems of company paid healthcare is doctors who are ignorant of good nutrition and prescription happy. Husband's kidney problems were probably the result of stress, poor nutrition and prescription drug side effects. Once the sick care industry has you in its grip, you will pay until you die.
If they had gotten their degrees debt free and spent more on proper nutrition on the front end rather than outrageous medical bills on the back end, this would be a different story altogether.
Morals of this story:
Do not borrow money for college, get your college credits in high school, community college, finish part time at a state school or do whatever but simply do not start life with crushing debt.
Learn about nutrition, do your own research, feed yourself for health and avoid the medical industry unless you are in a car accident or something like that.
That said, they can recover with faith, hope, prayers and some important nutritional education that will not be forthcoming from insurance led "health care professionals"!
Good luck to all!
I will pray for this family and everybody else who's in this situation. I had to retire from my job a couple of years ago because I have 4th stage cancer and I'm in continuous chemo. I'm grateful that I have fully paid health care and that I took out disability insurance years ago, which helps to subsidize my pension. Even though I went out on a medical disability and receive a bit more, it's not enough to cover all of my expenses. I'm able to make my mortgage payments etc. and live comfortably. Mr. Kennard developed kidney problems which led to large medical bills. I would encourage everybody out there to get disability insurance! Having the income from the policies, and the money is tax-free, will benefit yourself and your family in the event of a serious illness such as cancer or kidney disease. Even if you're in excellent health, a serious car accident or a serious illness, can happen to anybody. If you're single as I am, you really need to have disability insurance.
Peace.
This is truly sad,I feel for the kids being homeless is much harder on them than adults. I agree that your credit is very important. these two might be better off if one was not working and applied for all the help that there is to offer like food stamps,low-income housing,free lunches for the kids at school,visit the food bank for free food,visit thrift shops for clothes,toys for the kids,sign the kids up for free toys at christmas with toys for tots,sign up for the christmas angel program,apply for holiday baskets.The most important thing is to find out where all the freebies are and how to apply.
I agree to a point. That it's hard on the children. It's also hard on the parents. No parent in their right mine would want their children homeless.
You do have some good suggestions.
Many years ago, I got help for Christmas. I did it for my children. But while picking up the bag of toys. I felt so a shame that I never apply for that type of help again.
Section 8 has a wait list in some states that is years long. And not everyone qualifies. It's the working poor that get screwed -- they make too much money to get help and not enough to live.
Also the thing with Section 8 is. Not only do you have to wait years to get on Section 8. Section 8 only take so many application for a certain length of time. After that, the application sign up is closed for months, maybe even a year.
I try to sign up 6 months ago Their still not taking anymore applications.
Grew up with out a Car, computer, phone and oh ! by the way indoor plumbing. Had meat one day a week (Sunday) never had more than 3 changes of clothes, didn't know we were poor until the fokes in Washington told us so. Wish they had kept their mouths closed.
It is hard to understand anyone losing their home when both are working. Well I guess this did happen after she lost her job and they were left with just his 35K salary to live on then the medical bills seem to have been the last straw. I'm wondering how many 3 children families are out there living on less than 35K? I think quite a few. Try being a disabled veteran, single parent (1 son) and trying to live off of 127.00 veterans disability. Having applied for Disability I am told it will be approx. 18 months before my case goes before the hearing panel, thats the average wait nowadays I was told. I own my home (thank goodness) and live on a small reservation where I can hunt my own game, my grocery store is on the prairie, I guess thats what I am thankful for. Good luck to this family I hope they can get things turned around.
I read and reread the article and I still can't understand why they would become homeless instead of not paying their bills. Even if they were hit with wage garnishments, other than their student loans, bankruptcy would take care of it. If their student loans are the problem, they should be able to get a temporary reduction, deferment, or forbearance.
We talk about welfare/nanny states, people sucking off the gov't teet, freeloaders, etc. These are the exact type of people that the social programs in this country are supposed to help. It sounds to me like these people are too proud to seek the assistance available to them.
As I stated in another post. Often the owrking poor have it the worst. They make too much to qualify for any help but not enough to live. As for student loans -- they don't like to help and eventually they do stop helping.
Where is their bailout? Welcome to dustbowl america, how do you like it so far folks?
America used to be a great place to live. Now it is just a poor, poverty stricken, depressing place where 25% of its children live in abject poverty, and all we hear from our "leaders" is how we have to work together to solve these problems. Really? There are about 100 million people in this country who went over the fiscal cliff 5 years ago, and are stuck there. Where is their bailout? They are just F'd. Disgraceful.
If that is what it is like where you live, you might want to move. Most of America is doing fine.
I have been HOMELESS 8 years now. in CA. in a towne called SOUTHBAY comprised of small cities,(CARSON TORRANCE REDONDO HERMOSA). the homeless problem is huge here with no hope insight.
This story reminds of the same story many american share thats english american share in common experiance. a CHURCH that denies any POLITICA ASSOCIATION (AGENDA) and CIVIC DUTY OR OPINION.
I have experianced and seen NO RRESOURCES offered or available to UNEMPLOYED/HOMELESS just a HAND OUT. dureing a time were THE WHITE HOUSE reports 48,000 jobs created in the same week HOSTESS closes its doors down loseing 18,000 joibs with famies.
CHURCH., the only thing offered is a handout lunch to a bunch of TOWNE DRUNKS and SSI recipiants.with no hope insight or idea to correct the issue., BUT YET! emplyes ILLEGALS or should i say ONE RACE EMPLYED lawn cutting companies.,TO LANDSCAPE AND CHURCH GROUNDS CLEAR ACROSS SOUTHBAY.
With the HOMELESS problem even in our TROPICAL ISLANDS HAWAII being an issue.it seems rediculiouse not to offer volunteeriung thru church FUND RAISERS or for CIVIC DUTY.// or the ONLY JOB at CHURCH JANITORIAL AND LANDSCAPEING too the UNEMPLOYED/HOMELESS instead of theise SMOG POLUTEING YARD SERVICE BUISNESSES.
All the needy gets is a SLEEP OVER AND A BROWN BAG.!
I just feel a CHURCH who is the " PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY" would be able to not only commune prey? for free offerings by residents and members to help the needy.but be able to use that same effort and energy to produce ideas volunteering jobs in association with CITY OFFICIALS and residents to dovolunteer work with th epossibility of employment to the HOMELESS/UNEMPLOYED . (i have docued this for some time)
And yet people take the risk of coming here illegally because it is so much better and so much more money can be made. Get real people.
This article is bringing me to tear. I feel so sorry about this family who is struggling to live without house or apartment. It is so sad. Aye, I found out that the parents have to pay the heavy bills like medical expenses and that they cannot save the money for their dream. L Oh, that right, I remember to not to save the money during the bad economic. I have to give out to someone that need.
I still don't why this family is homeless. Both parents were working. I know medical bills can get very expensive, but rent or housing should come first. The mother didn't need to quit her job because of childcare costs since her older children can take care of themselves and the younger ones. For goodness sense they are teenagers. My sister is homeless now with 6 kids. Right now she and the kids are living in an apartment which they can only live in for 2 years since it is a homeless program and she has to get a job within 90 days or they will be kicked out. Currently, she is in a job program. The reason she and the kids became homeless was because her husband abused her and the kids. Therefore, they had to get out. Even Child Protection Services took her kids away from her for awhile. My sister had to go into several shelters. Now she got them back. More things need to be done for families who become homeless because of abuse.
I still don't why this family is homeless. Both parents were working. I know medical bills can get very expensive, but rent or housing should come first. The mother didn't need to quit her job because of childcare costs since her older children can take care of themselves and the younger ones. For goodness sense they are teenagers. My sister is homeless now with 6 kids. Right now she and the kids are living in an apartment which they can only live in for 2 years since it is a homeless program and she has to get a job within 90 days or they will be kicked out. Currently, she is in a job program. The reason she and the kids became homeless was because her husband abused her and the kids. Therefore, they had to get out. Even Child Protection Services took her kids away from her for awhile. My sister had to go into several shelters. Now she got them back. More things need to be done for families who become homeless because of abuse.
I wonder how senior citizens surive on $1,000.00 a month or less. well never mind, lets cut their medicare, that will really help !
Were it not for the generosity of a family member who took us in for 11 months, we too would have been on the streets. Massive medical debt that occurred AFTER our short sale and bankruptcy due to layoffs left us with no home, no job (thus no landlord would rent to us), no health insurance and $250,000 in medical bills that the judge wouldn't let us add to the bankruptcy soon to be discharged. We were surviving on my unemployment alone because my husband could have no income for at least 6 months before his disability could begin. During that 11 months I applied for 1334 jobs and had 9 interviews before finally convinced an employer that though I was "vastly overqualified" he'd do well to hire me. So at the age of 56 we begin again like a couple of newlyweds with our clothes and a few boxes of personal possessions we were able to hang onto that have no value to sell and I wonder if the 2010 census data would reflect how many households were comprised of multiple families sharing a roof due to the same circumstances? To the writer who wondered why these folks didn't get help elsewhere; if I had nickel for each caseworker we approached who hung their head in embarrassment and apologized for the fact that because we had one income with my unemployment, we "fell between the cracks" and there was no assistance for us. You either have to be destitute and unemployable with ZERO income, or you simply can't find help - the "cracks" in the assistance a quite wide and I daresay there a thousands of families like ours who simply don't qualify! Please don't judge these people, it's easier to be in this boat than you can imagine!
Just wait till the fiscal cliff is reached and jumped into. Just wait till the new tax codes go into effect. You think the misery index is bad now, just watch and learn how this government's inept/spineless/clueless responsibilities left delinquent are going to affect EVERYONE right on down the line. I mean EVERYONE including the dumpster-divers foraging for food. Every business, everyone, will suffer. Eating out only a luxury the Hollywood-type elite can afford. Taxes on rich?...If you think they are going to get hurt you are in la-la land. Every item produced, delivered, consumed by we little people of the fading middle class...will only cost incrementally MORE as the producers/ the makers/movers and shakers just past the cost on to the public at large.
What the hell is everyone smoking? And yes, I am barely holding on paying my OWN health insurance since forced into early retirement. And since the mere mention of Obamacare my premiums have gone up $1000 per year each of the last four. One other comment....the picture of these poor folks (yea but for the grace of God so go I)...and that may very well happen in my lifetime....either this poor family has thyroid problems or they sure don't look like they are starving. Just an observation. Merry Christmas, hopefully to all.
WTF? Move to California.
And some of you think that corporate America deserve tax breaks and should not pay their employees more. It's time for the minimum wage to be doubled for low income people. The rich make billions and we struggle to survive. Only a united people can correct this.
I have a B.S. in Civil Engineering, specializing in Surveying and Site Development, IE everything except an actual strucutre I can plan out to build or do the actual design work. I graduated Magna Cum Laude, this past May, and yet I still have not found a job that allows me to use my degree. I am also 33, and guess what I am single and live alone with my parents because I can not afford to pay my college loans and rent, why because I make 14 dollars an hour. My student loans are about 550 dollars a month all of them federal 0 private, my car insurance is 50 bucks a month, my cell which is a minimal plan is about 50 bucks a month and I have to have it for work. I make after taxes about 844 dollars every 2 weeks. Rent for a single bedroom apartment here is between 650-800 dollars, if I were to rent that after what I have just listed I would have roughly 400 dollars for food, renters insurance, and utilities.
And I actually have a usable degree, if I can ever find someone to take a chance on hiring me. As it stands I have been job hunting for 1 year since the start of the spring semester, I have had exactly 4 phone interviews, and litteraly 100s of rejection letters, all stating that I while I am qualified for the position, there are people who have more experience (due to the economy tanking in 2008) that they will be selecting from. They go on to say that I should keep applying as other than that lack of experience I am a good canidate.
So you will excuse me when I laugh at someone saying they may not have a useable degree, even having a useable degree does not garuntee you a job you can use to pay your bills even if you do not owe any credit card debt or have any medical debt.
That's what gets me about those who yammer on about "you need to get a GOOD degree"! No, you need to apply whatever skills you have in whatever field(s) you feel comfortable tackling. I have a non-teaching, non-journalistic English degree (B.A.). Worthless, you say? Not quite. Among the jobs I've had over the years, I've been involved in editing, internet research and transcription. My average paycheck has seldom been below double-digits since 1998.
I type 90 words per minute and it's not my "lack" of skills or experience that is the problem--it's just what Luke mentioned, the constant flow of rejections from an oversaturated job market.
I live in Crossville TN not far from Johnson City. I don't want this to sound bad but I would really like to know how I could give something to help these people out for Christmas. I have a 16 year old daughter about to turn 17 and she has absolutely no concept of money and her knowing something like this would be able to help her out. The oldest daughter said she came forth to help other kids like her...I would like her to help a kid appreciate what she has. I would really like to help the family and teach my daughter a great lesson in appreciation.
The Kennard's don't need help. They make above Federal Poverty level. What they need to do is file for Bankruptcy or live with family and friends or live within their means. I have left my comment earlier. But trying making ends meet with one income as my wife makes about $13,000 yr as a Pre-School Teacher with zero benefits and I've been out of work for 4 yrs. I am a family of 4 (myself, wife and 2 daughters) we make less than $20k and only get Food Stamps. My wife makes too much to qualify for any other Public Assistance/ Welfare. If Patrick Kennard making $35K then why are they Homeless. Something is wrong here. Now they have a church/ organization Charitable contribution pay up to 5 yrs Rent. Wow! Talk about living easy. I know they are not wealthy and long ways from it. But I know so many people in worst situations. Just to say this Kennard family made poor decisions and now we're bailing them out when they didn't need it first of all.
I would re-evaluate helping them. Your financial assistance would be beneficial to an Organization that actually helps Homeless or in danger of becoming Homeless people that actually have Case Managers to document requirements before panning out money.
If you want to help someone look into Soldier On program or Homeless Veterans Program or Catholic Charities or Red Cross or Salvation Army or to the Food Pantry. Please do not help the Kennards .. they are in better condition than you think.
I agree with you mostly, Generation Soldier. There are A LOT of people in much worse situations and they pull themselves out of it, however, I am glad they were able to get help since they apparently don't or didn't rather have a place to live.
As for the comments on this thread about people not wanting hand outs or expecting government to come to their aide, you couldn't be more wrong. Many, many People in the welfare class are more than content to live on the public dole and they get righteously P**ssed if anyone tries to suggest that maybe they could do better for themselves. I see it every, single day.
You know - I cannot ever remember in my lifetime (born in 1970 so lived my "older years" through the Reagan, Clinton and Bush years) these kind of posts. I am not trying to be political at all (this is much more important than what team you are batting for) but I hope to god that this is not a harbinger of things to come. We need job growth - period - whoever is in the WhiteHouse - I don't care. I hate to think that I willl be spending the next 10-20 years making these posts and reading these comments (if I am even able to).
What the hell happened? In the 80's we were golden. For god's sake we have to get back to that - or China will take it from us.
Does anyone know an F@$#%ing Mr. Smith that can go to Washington and get us out of this mess? Christ all mighty.
We needed a new Pres.
Sadly, we got the same one again.
It would have made a huge difference if the nation had not repeated the mistake of '08