07/11/2025
❇️ I know this is long, but I’m asking you just to take a moment to read. ❇️
I see it almost every single day. People struggling in ways that most of us can’t even imagine. And it’s not always what we picture when we think of “mental health or poverty.” It may not look like that *Feed The Children infomercial, but it exists and it’s everywhere.
Let’s start with those who do battle mental health challenges. Unless you live it yourself or truly walk alongside someone who does, it’s nearly impossible to understand how they even get through a day. People love to say “just push through” or “do it for your kids” and while that might sound simple, it’s just not that easy.
Getting therapy or counseling sounds good in theory, but unless you have really good insurance or a whole lot of money, it feels impossible. You either have to be super poor to qualify for programs that have “no availability”, or you can afford $125 - $300 an hour out of pocket. And if you need medication, that’s a whole other mountain to climb.
Then there are the ones who have to always be on. The thinkers, the doers, the caretakers, the drivers, the workers, the ones who never get a second to just breathe. Life is nonstop worry, nonstop what-ifs.
On top of that, they’re trying to figure out how to pay rent or the car payment or the electric bill. They’re trying to keep their heads above water while the weight just keeps piling on.
And you know what else? People look at a family with a decent house and a couple of nice cars and say, “Well, they don’t need help, look at them.” Meanwhile, they have no idea what went on to put them in that position. I’ve seen people lose their jobs. I’ve seen medical illness bankrupt families. I’ve seen all kinds of unexpected life hits. And if someone has been paying on their house for 20 years, what are they supposed to do, let it foreclose and become homeless? If they’re almost done paying off their cars, should they just let them go and have no way to get to work? It’s not that simple.
People say, “well, they can do better for themselves,” but to do better sometimes you need decent clothes for an interview, a reliable car to get to a better job, gas money, someone to watch your kids a little longer. It’s not as simple as “just work harder.” I see this all the time.
We are working on a program that will hopefully help some of these folks, the ones who really do want to move forward, who are stuck in what I call the “invisible quicksand.” They want to get out but they just keep sinking.
And please, don’t look down on the single parent with one, two, or three kids who needs Medicaid or food stamps. Many of them are working hard every single day, doing the best they can to raise their kids well and keep them safe and loved.
➡️ I’ll give you an example. A mom I know worked two jobs, and she finally got a little raise at her main job. She was so proud. She called me and said, “I think I can finally get my daughter those new shoes for school and maybe even take her to the movies.”
But that small raise pushed her just over the limit for her food assistance. So now she has to buy all her groceries out of pocket, and it costs way more than that little raise gave her. On top of that, she lost help with after-school care.
She ended up crying on the phone, saying she wishes she had never taken that raise. Imagine working so hard, doing exactly what you’re “supposed to do,” only to end up worse off.
So before you judge someone or wonder why they “aren’t trying harder,” try to understand where they’re really coming from.
I know not everyone fits this story. But you’d be surprised how many do.
AND.. if you got this far, thank you for caring enough to read!
