Help is Out There (Not Really)

 I've come across a trend that seems to be fairly common lately. 

You may or may not know, I've been through a lot of health challenges so far this decade. I'm currently on disability as a result. 

Disability doesn't even help cover the necessities. Every month, many people on disability are left to beg, borrow or steal just to survive. Many put out help messages on Social Media sites like Twitter or BlueSky and hope for the best. 

It's no way to live.. 

I bring this up because recently the social services office in Peterborough promoted a program where, if you meet the qualifications, you can get up to $300 towards an air conditioner. 

In general, the criteria was posted by a central office and included respiratory issues, asthma, mental health issues, among other things. 

I need a new air conditioner. I'm borrowing a friend's right now and the workers at the building I live in won't provide housekeeping for his apartment because of the heat. I applied and got denied because in Peterborough, the only conditions they're accepting are respiratory or asthma. 

Doesn't matter that with the a/c in my apartment most of the place is in the mid to high 20s (C) and without it you could add 10 degrees or more. 

Doesn't matter that my antidepressants don't allow me to regulate my body temp properly. 

Now.. There are other agencies out there. But with those, every single one of them ask that you exhaust other avenues first. People on disability may not be able to access other agencies or be able to satisfy their requirements. The main thing that gets me about all this is the "exhaust other avenues first"

For many, your agency might be the first and only avenue they have. If there is another agency they qualify for, they might now know about it, or decide it's not worth the hassle. And of course, many of these agencies are donation run, so they "like to see the person helping out if they can" 

I try to live off $800 a month.. I'm scraping after the halfway point.. There's no chance in Hell of being able to save.. 

It's sad that the prevailing attitude now seems to be for disabled people to either suffer, figure it out on their own, or just die and get it over with.