On one Friday morning late this summer, two families, recently homeless, were already waiting on the doorstep of the Groton Human Services building when employees arrived at work.
Another client was pregnant. Her husband had lost his job, and they couldn’t pay rent or purchase oil to heat their home.
A terminally ill client had decided to pay her phone bill—she would need the phone in case of an emergency—instead of her rent.
Those in the Human Services field are used to such sad stories—they’re part of the job. But a poor economy has meant the problems are multiplying, taking a harder toll and affecting people who have never found themselves in such situations before.
“There are so many layers, it’s hard to define one problem anymore,” said social worker Dani Gorman.
The workers don’t have hard statistics on this but said they are working with more middle-income families who earn the same amount of money, but are finding that it just doesn’t go as far.
“People come in shell-shocked,” said Vicki Wydler, also a social worker. “I always say it could be you, depending on what happens in your life.”
Shelters that were not normally full during the summer were full this past summer. Workers are seeing more requests for food. Volunteers who come every morning and put bags together from the food locker say the food is gone by mid-week. For awhile, Human Services workers were seeing several evictions per week—the town is responsible for moving and storing the families’ belongings—but that has since dropped off.
Perhaps the hardest part for the workers is the difficulty of getting every family the help it needs.
The department has limited resources and must be selective, said Director Marge Fondulas. They’re only supposed to help someone once every 12 months.
“What’s going to happen in January? How do you explain that to someone?” Wydler said.
They qualify people for M.A.S.H. (Mystic Area Shelter & Hospitality), but it only has five units, and, for people who don’t have mental health or domestic violence issues, it’s very hard to get help, according to social worker Deb Burke.
That means screening people, to determine whom they believe they can actually help.
“We have to think, ‘If I get them out of this jam, we’ll get them back on their feet,’” Burke said. “If it’s only going to be a Band-Aid, it’s not money well-spent.”
They also have to be creative, social workers said. In one instance, they helped a client move out of state to live with family. They also ask clients to pay what they can afford before receiving assistance.
“There’s a misconception that it’s people who aren’t making an effort,” Gorman said.
At a recent meeting with Groton Town Council members, Youth and Family Counselor Jennifer Sanford expanded upon the social workers’ experience, revealing increases in problems in Groton children’s welfare through statistics she provides to the state Department of Education.
She said her division has seen a 10 percent increase in kids directly affected by homelessness, and a 20 percent increase in those involved in juvenile court or whose behaviors could involve the court. Sanford said she didn’t know if that is because parents are providing less supervision now that they’re working more, or if kids are affected by the higher level of stress that comes with tough times.
The number of kids living in single-parent homes is up 20 percent, Sanford said. Because communication with parents is eroding, there is an increased need to rely on the legal system to resolve issues, and there has been an increase in guardians being assigned ad litem, to represent the needs of the child, Sanford said.
The school system is still the source of the largest number of referrals, she said, showing that despite increases in school-based health centers and school psychologists, the schools still struggle to manage children’s problems.
Diane Schrage, a counselor at the Family Support Center on Litton Avenue, said the center is seeing instances of overworked parents—two parents working two jobs—or the other extreme: unemployed parents.
They’re also seeing fathers calling for help with their children, which is unusual, Schrage said. Parents also no longer appear to be concerned about the stigma that once came with admitting they need help caring for their children. Services, such as parenting classes and mental health institutions, are disappearing, they said.
People are also having trouble caring for senior citizen family members, Fondulas added. Some of the seniors are living in unsafe conditions, she said.
Some of the department’s clients also come from the Navy. Though the Navy has its own support services, sometimes they are limited, or those enlisted are afraid their commanding officer will find out, Schrage said. Another problem comes after a divorce, Burke said, when the wife of an enlisted man has to leave housing within four weeks. The wives, who may not have jobs or be from this area, have no home for the family, Burke said.
Human Services will continue, as Fondulas put it, “to maintain the equilibrium in the community.”
Any residents who want to help can make checks out to Groton Human Services or the Groton Food Locker for families in need.
By KATIE WARCHUT
Staff Writer