UMTV Web Brief 7/3/02 - American Dreams

Intro No Place Like Home:

Welcome to this week’s UMTV Web Brief- I’m Reed Galin.

Having your own home... that’s a pretty basic part of the American dream, isn’t it, to find security and a sense of your own place?

But the dream is only that for a lot of families… apparently out of reach.

A United Methodist initiative in Phoenix is becoming a bridge for the working poor, giving support, guidance and their own slice of American pie.

No Place Like Home Story:

“Want to get me a paper towel there?”

IN THIS HOME, EVEN MUNDANE CHORES AREN’T TAKEN FOR GRANTED.

“Generally, since we've been here, dinner has been a four-hand deal. Yeah, four-hand operation.“

JUST LAST WEEK, STEVE, SHIRLEY AND THEIR TWO KIDS WERE LIVING IN ONE ROOM IN A HOMELESS SHELTER.

“Two kids, two adults in that size of a room; it gets kinda hectic. “

NOW COMING HOME HAS REAL MEANING.

“This is the master bedroom”

BECAUSE THIS IS ALL THEIRS.

A CYCLE OF DRUGS AND ILLNESS LED THEM TO A SHELTER TWO YEARS AGO, AND, DESPITE THE FACT THAT BOTH ARE NOW SOBER AND SHIRLEY WORKS, THEY COULDN’T SAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR A PLACE TO CALL THEIR OWN.

“It's particularly a problem to find quality affordable housing. “

UNITED METHODIST OUTREACH MINISTRIES -- OR UMOM -- RUNS A HOMELESS SHELTER FOR FAMILIES IN ARIZONA. THEY PROVIDE THE BASICS. BUT THEY WANTED TO DO MORE TO HELP WORKING FAMILIES ESCAPE HOMELESSNESS.

“Casa Nueva is a 64-unit complex consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. “

UMOM PARTNERED WITH DEVELOPERS AND GOT INTO THE HOME-BUILDING BUSINESS; 26 APARTMENTS AT CASA NUEVA ARE OPEN TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, WHO ARE GIVEN HELP WITH RENT AND SECURITY DEPOSITS

The ultimate goal is to have these families sustain a life of independent living.

“Eat your soup. It’s hot.”

SHIRLEY AND STEVE ARE NERVOUS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL PRESSURES THAT COME WITH THIS APARTMENT, BUT THEY FEEL SUPPORTED.

“Having a strong faith in God can get you through anything.”

Welcome Home Commentary:

Tina Faison’s family of five knows all about the power of faith. They lived in a two-bedroom apartment until she heard about the Habitat for Humanity program through her church, Sherbourne United Methodist in Richmond, Va. With a lot of sweat equity and help from church members, she now knows what it’s like to be a homeowner.

Commentary:

We moved in the day after Christmas and it was a great Christmas present.

We had to go to a budgeting class; we had to go maintenance class; we had to put in our equity hours.

It wasn’t just given to us. We had to go through a lot of different classes and put in a lot of sweat hours! There’s plenty of times coming out here in the hot, hot, that I wished I was at home. But I knew in the long run it was going to be worth it.

I wish there were a lot more sponsors for Habitat, and more land, to help more people.

Without the help of Habitat, alot of us out here would not have a place to call home.

Intro Treasure Hunters:

Give me your tired and poor… it says on the Statue of Liberty… She offers great promise to those who come looking for the American dream… but she makes no promises.

We are reminded that opportunity often turns out to be the product of excruciating self-sacrifice and, though a lot has changed since that statue first welcomed immigrants, a lot hasn’t.

John Yeager wonders if those of us lucky enough to be born Americans would have what it takes to make it here, otherwise.

Treasure Hunters story:

IT'S 1 A.M. THE BARS ALONG VENICE BEACH IN LOS ANGELES HAVE JUST SHUT DOWN. AND ROGELIO GARCIA PICKS THROUGH WHAT'S LEFT. THE GARBAGE TRUCKS WILL BE HERE SOON, SO HE AND WIFE YOLANDA HAVE TO HURRY TO STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF OTHERS WHO ARE SCRATCHING OUT THEIR OWN AMERICAN DREAMS, A FEW CENTS AT A TIME.

THEY GET HELP FROM THE BARTENDER AT THE TOWN HOUSE TAVERN.

Steve Wark, Bartender: "They're here every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, always here."

Rogelio Garcia: "We work 13, 14 hours every day."

ROGELIO AND YOLANDA HAVE BEEN MARRIED 20 YEARS. SHE'S CLEANED HOMES AND WORKED IN A FACTORY. HE WAS A DISHWASHER, THEN A MEAT CUTTER. BUT HE WAS LAID OFF EIGHT YEARS AGO, AND STARTED HUNTING FOR WHAT OTHERS THREW AWAY. IN THIS WAY, HE COULD WORK WHILE HIS THREE YOUNG CHILDREN SLEPT. THERE WAS NO THOUGHT THAT LIFE OWED HIM ANYTHING MORE.

THEY EARN ABOUT $15,000 A YEAR, FAR BELOW POVERTY LEVEL. BUT THEY STILL FIND A WAY TO CHANGE THE FUTURE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

Rogelio Garcia Jr.: "My name is Rogelio Garcia and I'm a college student."

HE'S A STUDENT AT M.I.T. IN BOSTON.

Adrianne Garcia, daughter: "Adrianne Garcia and I'm a college student."

SHE'S AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-RIVERSIDE. THE GARCIAS RENT THIS ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR $500 A MONTH. THAT'S ABOUT 16,000 CANS.THEN THEY HAVE TO COLLECT ANOTHER 12,000 SO THEY CAN SEND $200 DOLLARS A MONTH TO EACH CHILD AT COLLEGE.

Adrianne Garcia: " That's why they're doing it, so we don't have to do what they're doing."

THERE IS ONE MORE CHILD AT HOME, ANGEL. THEY WANT TO SEE HIM IN COLLEGE, TOO.

Rogelio Garcia Jr.: "They don't have to work as hard to get my little brother through. Because they helped me, I'm going to help him. I'll do whatever is possible."

TIRED AND POOR? YES, BUT IT’S ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION, AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN FOR NEW AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS. SO A LITTLE AFTER MIDNIGHT, YOLANDA AND ROGELIO GARCIA WILL GO BACK TO WORK ANYWAY, SEARCHING THROUGH DUMPSTERS FOR THE KEY TO THE GOLDEN DOOR.

Tease next week:

On the next UMTV Web brief …

When not to keep a secret.