Saving seniors from homelessness
When Ray Zabiega, 64, lost his job as a cashier at a wholesale grocery store, the lifelong Bridgeport resident was confident he would be able to find other work.
Living off his life savings, Ray began applying for jobs throughout the city. To save the $4 bus fare for a day’s pass, he began riding his bicycle to businesses he hoped might be hiring. But as the months passed and the economic downturn continued to deepen, Ray soon realized finding a job would be more difficult than at any other time in his life.
“I’ve never been through anything like this,” he said. “I went to 10 McDonalds and at least as many Dunkin Donuts. Even some of the work retraining programs, they were all full. Just to put your name down, you were waiting a couple of months.”
Ray believed his age kept some employers from giving him a chance at an open position, and riding a bicycle to interviews also limited his chances.
“When I was going to look for a job, on windy days there was no place to comb your hair or freshen up before going into the interview,” Ray said. “You end up looking like you’ve been in a windstorm.”
As his savings dwindled, Ray began to look for other ways to save money.
“I went down to the welfare office and they helped me out with food stamps. I started going to church hall dinners at least twice a week,” he said. “But every single day I was out looking for work. I wanted a little satisfaction that I wasn’t just going from agency to agency, I wanted to get that paycheck too.”
As the days wore on, the bills began to pile up. Ray filed for Social Security benefits earlier than he had previously planned, reducing the amount of money he receives in benefits.
And then his rent came due and Ray was facing eviction. Every morning he packed his most important financial and medical records along with personal items such as family photos into a backpack he carried with him throughout the day. Ray did not know when he would return to his apartment and find the locks had been changed and he was homeless.
“I left $25 in my savings account to keep it open just so there was a place for the Social Security check deposit,” he said. “I didn’t know when I wouldn’t have an address.”
After searching for work and outside help for months, Ray was just three days away from being evicted from his apartment when he reached out to the Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging. The agency had just received a $25,000 grant from the Fairfield County Community Foundation’s Safety Net Giving Circle, a fundraising campaign designed to address the immediate, critical needs created by the economic downturn.
Agency staff found Ray a new, affordable apartment and with a no-interest loan of $994 covered his moving expenses and security deposit.
Now, without the threat of eviction hanging over his head, Ray can remain focused on finding a new job. Money is still tight, the Social Security checks cover rent and utilities, but little else, and Ray still attends church dinners three times a week.
Despite the challenges he faces, Ray says he has met many others in the Bridgeport area who are far worse off.
“Thank God I don’t have kids,” he said. “I don’t know how some of these families are doing it.”
How to help
It's easy, just click the "Donate Now" button. You can make a tax
deductible, online contribution to the Fund for Community Leadership which continues the work of the Safety Net Giving Circle by ensuring the basic needs of Fairfield County's most at-risk residents continue to be addressed.
To make a contribution by mail or fax, or for more information, contact Linda Franciscovich,
Vice President of Development and Philanthropic Services at
203.750.3200 |
2009 Annual Report: Stories, photos, feats and financials
