They lost everything

Dec. 7, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

Ursula Harris was not the type of person you’d expect to meet at a homeless shelter.

At a first meeting, she sat in the corner of the Salvation Army shelter in Newark. She wore makeup, nice clothes and jewelry. She spoke confidently and was willing to be photographed.

Harris, her daughter and her grandkids found themselves at the shelter after they were evicted from their home in Pataskala. It was a nice home, and they lost everything.

This wasn’t the first time Harris fell on hard times — several years ago, she was foreclosed on after losing her job — but it was her first time homeless.

She had been in the shelter for less than a week, and she’ll be out soon, she said — and stronger for the experience.

Harris is a former financial broker. She worked for herself, and when the economy collapsed, so did her finances.

Schools, others work to find ways to help poor overcome obstacles

Aug. 12, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

NEWARK — A large portion of residents in Licking County can’t even think about saving for a down payment on a house or college tuition for their 10-year-old.

This is because they might not know how they’re going to feed their family tomorrow.

Those in poverty don’t just have less money than those in other economic classes. They speak a different language and live in a different culture. All of their actions involve living for the here and now because they never can be completely sure if they will survive to see next week.

Bridges Out of Poverty consultant Chris Ramsey didn’t need to explain this concept to the 20 people sitting around a conference room table Thursday.

Thousands of area jobless face loss of benefits

Nov. 28, 2010, Newark Advocate

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

This holiday season brings uncertainty for the 3,795 people in Licking County who will lose their unemployment benefits between Tuesday and April if Congress does not approve another extension.

Statewide, 301,404 people will lose jobless benefits in the same window.

The U.S. House of Representatives denied an emergency extension Nov. 18, before its holiday recess. U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township, voted against the extension, and U.S. Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, was not present for the vote.

Numbers show depth of Ohio’s economic despair

Jan. 23, 2010, Newark Advocate

By JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

Barack Obama and state leaders could be forgiven if they thought a presidential visit to Ohio occurred on Friday the 13th, not the 22nd.

More bad news about the state’s economy preceded Obama’s visit to Lorain, where he promised, “I won’t stop fighting to bring back jobs here.”

Ohio’s unemployment rate rose to 10.9 percent in December, the latest figures from the Department of Job and Family Services.

The jobless rate was 10.6 percent in November, and the department blamed losses in service industries for the decline.