I'm homeless and my only income is doing Door Dash deliveries.

9 Comments

1. B NSeptember 6,2024 at 12:41PM UTC

   Safety and security is paramount. Would you consider nursing or elder care companion? You could be a live in for people that wish to stay in their home but cannot live alone. This would give you the space to live with minimal people. Granted the TV is loud and you will not be truly alone but there's a lot of napping that happens.

   Outside of that your best bet is to upskill as much as possible. Use your public library, use social services to secure housing. When you get a place, if you can handle phone work, call center may give you income while you learn more computer skills. Most companies have learning and development for their staff. Use every available free resource.

2. Mindy VaughanSeptember 7,2024 at 5:06AM UTC

   My son and I spent a week at a behavioral and mental health hospital here locally and a really kind lady that I met there is letting us stay with her until I can find a full time job and we can find a safe place to live.

   Again, we don't hardly have any resources where I live for anything and they're not helpful at all.

3. AnonymousSeptember 6,2024 at 12:43PM UTC

   Reach out to social services and your local housing authority. Many areas have programs for unhoused people called "rapid rehousing" or "housing first" initiatives tailored for people in your situation. Most areas have a 2-1-1 helpline that can provide information and referrals.

4. Mindy VaughanSeptember 7,2024 at 5:04AM UTC

   Our social services programs won't help and our local housing authority is completely pointless I have something on my credit report from a previous apartment complex, so no one will rent to me. There are 2nd chance rentals here, but I need a full time job to get a place at one of them. 211 is also very pointless. Again, we don't have hardly any resources where I live for anything.

5. KatSeptember 6,2024 at 1:29PM UTC

   Great suggestions so far. In addition to contacting social service agencies for housing and public assistance, check with your local Job Service office. They will have job postings and can provide upskilling and training to get you a job. GoodWill Industries also offers training and support to help you find jobs.
   The Post Office is another good option-they are always looking for good workers, pay well and have lots of jobs that are behind the scenes. Consider the military or the Peace Corps as well. They will provide training and housing while you build your skill set. It would be a great way to earn money, learn new skills and make connections with people. If you have a bachelor's degree, you could teach abroad. Housing is provided with those jobs plus your salary. If you don't have a college degree, check with job service or social services about going to school to get a degree or learn a trade. Trades pay very well and you learn valuable skills. There are programs that will provide paid training or assistance while you're in school. Warehouse work usually pays well and there's little public contact. Places like CostCo pay well and have great benefits, like tuition assistance and health insurance. What about working in a hotel? There are plenty of behind the scenes jobs like housekeeping and serving that involve little public contact. Good luck and I hope you're able to find something better for yourself.

6. Mindy VaughanSeptember 7,2024 at 5:02AM UTC

   I'm 52 years old, I'm too old to join the military and I don't want to. My son and I went to our local Goodwill Career Center. I got a job the very next day. My case manager got mad at me for getting a job and not meeting with him like I was supposed to, so they refuse to help me or my son again. We were stupid and lied to the Salvation Army about my son's age because I was terrified for his safety in the Men's Homeless Shelter. Once they found out, they kicked us out and no other place will help us. No one will help us. We don't have hardly any resources in the small city where we live. We can't afford to move to a larger city with better job opportunities and better resources.

   I already owe about $18,000 in student loans and I didn't get a degree. I'm not smart and I don't do well in school.

7. AnonymousSeptember 8,2024 at 12:19AM UTC

   Good on you for getting a job! See if you and your son can put together several jobs between the two of you and get to a point where you can make ends meet. Follow some of Kat's suggestions or some others you can think of. You can do it!

   There are a lot of trade school courses and programs at local two-year colleges that you may want to check out meanwhile, none of which require doing well academically, but could pay quite well.

   Also look carefully at your budget and see if you can cut expenses at the same time you increase income with new jobs. Since you got a job once recently, you can repeat this.. Once you get some reliable income, see if a free program such as Dave Ramsey's "Baby Steps" can help you gradually get out of debt. I had over double your debt and was able to use that program to erase it in ten months. Hang in there!

8. Miranda PingitoreSeptember 9,2024 at 11:25PM UTC

   Mindy, I wrote an article, especially for you. This is where you will find it https://4d79.com/?s=start+by+believing+in+you

9. Mindy VaughanSeptember 7,2024 at 5:09AM UTC

   I've applied and applied and applied. I've interviewed, interviewed, and interviewed. I have 77 pages of jobs that I've applied for on one Microsoft Word document and 95 pages of jobs that I've applied for on another Microsoft Word document. I'm extremely sick and tired of people acting like I'm not even trying to find a job. I've applied for about 300 jobs since the end of April. Where I live, there aren't many opportunities at all.