Witnesses Tell Personal Stories of What State Assistance Means to Them

Thursday’s Human Services Subcommittee hearing had a whole different tone as legislators got to hear from a number of beneficiaries of state human services programs – many of whom thanked them for supporting a variety of state programs.

Rachel Gardner told the subcommittee that without Medicaid and managed care provider CareSource, “I would not be alive today.” She went on to say that these benefits are “important to people like me,” as she described a history of rape, depression, eating disorders and other problems. Gardner said she is now “choosing life” because of the care she has received.

Another upbeat group of witnesses were members of the Ohio Chapter of Foster Care Alumni of America. And while they were lobbying for the restoration of $2.5 million/year in Independent Living funds to help foster youth who age out of the system, they themselves were perhaps the best selling point, with Rep. Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) commenting that they were a “thoroughly impressive group.” Making a notable impression was Adrian McLemore, who addressed the subcommittee as “future colleagues” and who said he hopes one day to be mayor of Dayton, governor of Ohio and president of the U.S.

He also addressed the panel as “Momma Brown, Daddy Burke, Auntie Sears, Sister Boyd and Cousin Driehaus, making the point that it is the state that is family for foster youth.

Gabriel Koshinsky expanded on that idea: “Many of you growing up had the privilege of living in a loving home with caring parents and a strong community that supported you. These relationships provided a basis of empowerment and investment that gave you the reinforcement to believe in yourselves.

“Unfortunately, this is not the case for all children and young adults in this state. Over 17,000 children in the state of Ohio do not have a home and many are separated from their own siblings. They are alone in a world that is difficult to navigate.”

And while the former foster care youth had the subcommittee and audience smiling, there were many wet eyes after Jason James completed his story of nine months searching for work after having been laid off from GM where he had worked for a number of years, both as an employee and consultant. He said he had anticipated no difficulty in finding another job, but that has not been the case. He told the subcommittee of resorting to selling off possessions and using savings in his job search until in December, the local sheriff placed a “sheriff’s sale” sign on his home. Married with two children, he said he first received food stamps three weeks ago and that was the first time in many months he was able to fill the grocery cart with food for his family. “I haven’t slept that well in a long time knowing my family had enough food.”

James went on to say that he knows he will not be on the program forever, but that for now it is very important.

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, brought the plight of the state’s hungry to the hearing room by distributing paper plates to the subcommittee on which food bank clients had shared their circumstances – how they happened to go to a food bank, what the food means to means to them and what would happen if they didn’t have access to the food bank or food pantry.

She wrote in her testimony that “children – they are the faces of innocence … laughter … curiosity … discovery … and hope, but when a child seldom has enough to eat, they often become the faces of … worry … confusion … anxiety …. fear … and despair ….

“Although childhood hunger may be viewed by some as a physical issue, in actuality it affects all areas of society, from education to business … community to home …. Mental health to emotional well-being.

“Not only does it rob the individual child of the most basic necessity, but it also burdens our government, our society, and our communities with billions of dollars in medical, education, economic and social costs.”

The hearing started off hearing from Maria Matzik, who from her wheelchair, told the committee how she is a consumer of the Ohio Home Care Waiver program and an employee of the Access Center for Independent Living in Dayton. She was there to support language in the budget addressing qualifications for home care attendants. She said that because of the lack of qualified caregivers under current law she is unable to get assistance over the weekend, meaning “when I get up in my wheelchair on Friday morning I don’t go back to bed again until Sunday night….” She concluded by urging the subcommittee to stop “unnecessarily medicalizing functions of daily living for people with disabilities.”

For more from Thursday’s hearing, see the Committee Meeting Reports section of this Hannah Report.