Monday, December 29, 2008
Immigrant battles to stay afloat
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Previous Good Neighbors Fund stories
- Good Neighbors Fund passes 2010 collection total
- Good Neighbors total ahead of last year's
- Still time to get a cookbook
- Mom wishes for a steady job
- Woman, 93, loves to care for younger people
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Edward, 54, who asked that his name not be used for this story, is missing quite a few of his teeth. A refugee from a war-torn nation, he said he lost some of them during a beating related to the conflict. The others -- the entire lower front row -- fell out after he came to the United States and couldn't afford dental care.
BACKGROUND: Edward grew up in a large, cosmopolitan city. He said he earned an engineering degree and worked for a manufacturing company that sold its products worldwide. He had a wife and three children, a nice home and health care coverage.
When war came, Edward did his best to avoid it but ended up serving in the army. His relatives managed to escape, but Edward said he waited too long to leave and he and his family were unable to join them.
In 1993, shortly after fleeing to a neighboring country, Edward's wife died of complications from surgery. Edward said he would have liked to have stayed where he was, but he said he couldn't get a work permit. In 1996, he was offered a chance to come to the United States and he took it, desperate to provide some stability for his motherless children.
IN THE DEEP END: "I didn't know what I was getting into," he said about the move to Roanoke. "They didn't tell me what I could expect. I just had to decide."
At first, things went fairly well. He taught himself to read, write and speak English and got a job at a local manufacturing company. The job was not commensurate with his education, but it was interesting, and his employers liked his work, he said.
In 1998, Edward said, the family lost all of their belongings in a flood. Then, he added, the company he worked for went out of business. He said that even 10 years later, they have yet to recover.
Edward developed heart problems and has a pinched nerve in his back. He said his second child has a chronic medical condition that costs thousands of dollars to treat and that the oldest, who was bringing $1,000 a month into the household, had to have an operation that cost nearly $30,000. He has been unable to work since then.
Edward tries to support his family himself, but his efforts are hampered by his age and his poor health. He said he works part time at a job that aggravates his back but pays $360 a month. He also receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a social security check and food stamps.
In all, it amounts to just more than $1,100 each month for four people, he said. And when his son is able to work, the benefits are reduced.
COMING TO RAM: Although he lives largely on government assistance, Edward said he is uncomfortable about it.
"I don't want any help from the United States government. I just want to work."
When he had trouble paying his rent, a friend told him about Roanoke Area Ministries. The charity's Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which is supported by The Roanoke Times' Good Neighbors Fund, helps people such as Edward with rent, utilities and prescriptions to prevent them from becoming homeless.
Edward said he has come to RAM every few years since then -- most recently in September for help with the rent. It is humiliating to ask, he said, but RAM is the only place he feels he can turn.
THE FUTURE: "I invested my whole life in my kids," Edward said. That investment seems to have paid off. Although his oldest child would like to go to college, he decided to postpone it to help his father. The children consider themselves Americans, but Edward has raised them according to his country's traditions. "Families stick together. They will help me when I'm old," he said.
Edward said his needs are few: "We want to eat every day. We want a roof over our heads."
Someday, Edward would like to return home.
"It is where I want to die. I want to sit and watch the sunset. I want to feel comfortable and free."
