Mom of 4 struggles to take kids to doctor without a car

Mark Hicks / The Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/article/20091228/METRO/912280317/1409/METRO/Mom-of-4-struggles-to-take-kids-to-doctor-without-a-car

Detroit -- Lucretia Hatchett has dealt with many obstacles in the last two years, but among the largest is lack of transportation.

The 33-year-old is unemployed, searching for work and struggling to support her four children -- some of whom are asthmatic and require frequent hospital visits.

Together, the family relies on city buses to travel, but the cold weather is worsening her children's health.

"I have trouble getting around," Hatchett said. "I don't want to be out catching a bus, but that's what we have to do. I have no other way. ..."

In hopes of finding assistance and expanding her options, she recently called United Way for Southeastern Michigan's 211 helpline.

United Way is one of several The Detroit News works with in Helping Hands, which links low-income residents with aid during the holiday season.

Each week, The News is spotlighting some of the area residents in need.

Hatchett has worked at a variety of jobs in the area, most recently as a hotel janitor. But she was laid off in 2007 and had to take unemployment benefits.

When those ran out, she was forced to drain her savings to care for her family.

She now receives assistance from the state Department of Human Services but is able to cover just the basics. Meanwhile, bills pile up.

"Nothing has been shut off. It could happen, though," she said. "I'm behind and I owe a lot."

Since August, Hatchett has been participating in a Michigan Works! Agency Work First program, receiving training and searching for jobs several times a week. But, she said, "I still haven't been able to get another job."

Others facing tough financial situations are also turning to 211 for help and links to resources.

United Way's 211 call center, which was launched in 2005 and maintains a database of some 23,000 regional services and programs, has seen a surge in calls this season. Director Bill Sullivan estimates more than 40,000 referral calls have come in the last two months.

The top request remains food, but "we've seen a steady rise of all types of calls," Sullivan said.

Fallout from a shaky economy has driven the spike.

"The unemployment rate is the one common factor for the increase for all service requests," Sullivan said. "We expect that they will continue to rise. ...There's a whole other group whose benefits have expired, and they have nowhere to turn."

Callers with multiple issues can be linked with service agencies specializing in certain areas, including furniture.

"If they have a resource that can help someone, they're in our database," Sullivan said.

"When you look at the maze of services that are out there, and how you have to get to them, it's crazy. (With 211), they don't have to go through that. In one phone call, you can learn it all to get directly to the services you need."

Sullivan also warns those seeking help to be "honest about what their needs are."

"We're in an era when the needs you have are likely to be greater than they were a year ago," he said.

"We understand that. We anticipate that, and therefore we commit ourselves to help these people."

Hatchett is brushing up on her interviewing skills.

"It's hard for her, but she's doing the best she can," said her sister, Felicia Hatchett. "She's doing a lot to get her resume intact so she can get a job and take care of the kids. It would help for them to have a ride to get to the places she needs to."