“Make It All Go Away”

(Interview published in the Door County Advocate, a Gannett publication, on Jan. 24, 2005)

(1,118 Words)

There is no denying that life is not easy for some Door County residents. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Report, Door County’s 7.2% poverty level fell below the state average, in 2002. This, however, is small comfort to the 2,024 individuals affected by it. Many of these represent families that usually qualify for government assistance, but marital status, the seasonal economy, or sudden crises sometimes allow others to fall through the cracks of the system.

“Ann,” a 52-year-old single woman, is a good example of someone who found herself in this predicament. For almost thirty years, she worked in the health profession, doing a job she loved. Two years ago, she lost that job, due to multiple health problems that include a combination of asthma, a stroke, diabetes, and heart problems that force her to remain unemployed. She applied for aid from Social Services and now receives Food Stamps but learned that her single status, with no dependents, prevents her from qualifying for medical assistance. Her application for Social Security is still threading through the system, and their decision is now pending.

“When my unemployment and money ran out, (and no health insurance), I had to seek help from other places,” she said. With no income to fall back on, Ann decided to turn to friends and family for financial help; their generosity enabled her to exist on $3500, last year.

The Wellness Center funded some of her medical needs, and she also qualified for a free prescription program, through the hospital. In addition, she received aid from the Salvation Army, Energy Assistance, and the Weatherization programs. “Most of these places are a one-time only (solution), so you have to keep pursuing other things. But, I’m so thankful for them and for all the people who have helped me.”

In desperation, she petitioned and received some financial aid for her mortgage from some local churches. “The hardest thing is to have to ask for help. I am used to being the one to help others,” she added. Going from a good-paying job…to no income, is a big adjustment, but you do it.”

The churches play a major role in helping the “Ann’s” of this community. Those that belong to the Ministerial Fund hold an occasional Ecumenical Fund collection, which pays one-time, emergency vouchers ($50 or under) for housing, gas, or food.

When the Moravian Church’s youth group returned from volunteering at a Staten Island soup kitchen, their experiences persuaded Reverend Knapp to try a similar program, here. In October 2003, he started the Loaves and Fishes project, a program that feeds the less fortunate of this area.

“Twelve people came,” Ann Johnson said, describing the first dinner. “We now serve 150 a month.” Johnson is the Moravian Church treasurer and project manager for the Loaves and Fishes program. She also serves as adjunct professor of accounting for NWTC Sturgeon Bay Campus.

This campus donates its dining room and kitchen for the meal, which is offered on the first and third Fridays of each month during winter and once a month in summer. Between 5:30 and 7 p.m., professional chefs and parishioners volunteer their services. “We’re just here to feed someone who is hungry or who might be very lonely and would like to eat a meal with someone else,” Johnson said. Since they regard this offering as a faith-based initiative, volunteers sit with one of the guests and share their meal. St. Joseph, Christ the King Episcopal, the United Methodist Church, Bay View Lutheran, and the Moravian Church now participate in this program.

Johnson believes that the number of needy people who fall through the cracks of the system is greater than many realize. “Hunger here is a hidden problem; we all like to believe that lovely Door County doesn’t have that problem. This is an expensive place to live—you and I know that.”

While Johnson encourages people to apply to government agencies for help, first, she said that this process takes time. “Sometimes, there are waiting lists, and they have to make a choice between paying for their medication, their housing, or stocking their pantries,” she added. While providing one meal a month won’t solve the hunger problem, she hopes that the program’s existence has made life “just a little bit easier” for someone.

“Our efforts, in no way, reflect negatively on anything anyone else is doing,” she emphasized. “Feed My People and Social Services are doing a wonderful job, but they are absolutely overwhelmed.”

Mike Van Dyke sees the issues of need, in this community, from a dual perspective. Acting as director of both the Door County Social Services Department and The Salvation Army gives him a certain objectivity to assess the extent of the problems that exist here. “I think we have a good working relationship—both public and private—between government agencies and private organizations,” Van Dyke said, noting that each situation needs an individual determination.

Government agencies, such as Social Services, are structured to offer long-term aid to the needy. Many programs exist, under its umbrella, but require a certain income. Those include Food Stamps, Medical Assistance (under 65, with dependents), Medicaid (low income people over 65), and the Energy Assistance program, for heating bills. W-2 (“Wisconsin Works”) is the only cash program that Social Services offers to its clients. This is an employment-training program for families with no income who qualify and need financial assistance, while re-training for a new job.

Conversely, organizations like The Salvation Army, HELP of Door County, Lakeshore CAP, Feed My People, and The Red Cross are better equipped to offer temporary, emergency relief. Van Dyke described Door County’s Salvation Army as “a volunteer service unit,” with no office and no paid staff, which focuses mainly on servicing emergency housing situations. “We work with them to find out what alternatives they have,” he said, noting that no homeless shelter exists, in this county. “You might be able to help them a couple of times, and then work with them and the other agencies in the community so that they can put a plan together, get on their feet, and move on with their life.”

Van Dyke could not estimate the percentage of needy that falls through the cracks of the system, since it varies, with the season, situation, and a person’s willingness to ask for help. Although private and government organizations do the best they can, no individual or group can “make it all go away.”

For more information about Social Services or The Salvation Army, contact Mike Van Dyke at (920) 746-2300.

To inquire about Loaves and Fishes or the Ecumenical Fund, call Ann Johnson or Reverend Knapp at (920) 743-6218.