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The essential assistance CalWORKs provides recipients with, in their
educational as in their personal lives via the welfare-to-work program
can be coming to a drastic end.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled a new budget proposal in Mays
revised budget, the proposal would completely eliminate the CalWORKs
program.
The move is expected to save the state $1.6 billion and take
effect October 1, 2010. If passed California would be the only state in
the nation without a welfare program.
Lawmakers have voted against the governor's proposal as they have
in the past, but the governor has already said he will use his
negotiating leverage and continue to pursue the changes that have been
blocked year after year.
CalWORKs, the state's main welfare program, for years has
provided low-income families with job training, day care assistance via
the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) and an average of $500 a month for
household and educational expenses.
About 1.4 million people statewide would be affected with the
elimination.
According to californiabudgetcuts.org 77.9 percent of people on
CalWORKs are children.
"If they cut off CalWORKs I don't know how I'm gonna survive,"
said Malika Isaeva, 38, CalWORKs recipient and single mother of one.
"I'm gonna be on the streets."
If cut, many students on the program would be forced to drop-out
of school in hopes of finding a full-time job to support their families.
"If I don't have any CalWORKs I don't have any CCRC, so I would
have to drop out and find a job." said Gvargez, 29, "If I would find a
job all my money would go towards day care, it's very expensive."
Gvargez, an immigrant from Iran came to the U.S. three years ago
with her husband and child in hopes of a better life, not having other
family in the U.S. makes her situation harder than is.
"We're trying for a better life, but without help from CalWORKs
we can't do anything." said Gvargez.
At Pierce about 251 students are on the CalWORKs program
according to Abbey Klein, director of CalWORKs.
Klein, who came to Pierce in 1999 has seen the CalWORKs program
have a positive, life-changing effect on people.
"We provide a measure of support," she said. "The whole point of
the Cal Works system is to lift people up, not to let them drown."
Former Pierce student and recipient of CalWORKs, Alan Gorgi, 40,
recalls coming to America and having a difficult time adapting to the
lifestyle and learning the language.
"Because of this program I'm able to talk to people and socialize
without fear," he said.
Gorgi, recently graduated from California State University
Northridge with a degree in Medical Administration and has applied to
work at Kaiser Permanente and other medical centers.
"From the deepest part of my heart I appreciate what the program
has done for me," he said.
CalWORKs aids single, one parent families and low income families
"with financial needs."
"We know there are students at Pierce that haven't found us yet,"
said Klein. "It's very important they come to us, because we have
services that can help them"
- reprinted from the Roundup