Social Anxiety And Depression Disabled Man Seeks Grant For Family Home
by Shane Audette
I'm looking for help in coping with depression and other disabilities in the family by getting a housing grant to help buy ourselves a home. We have always had a dream of having a home we can call our own and live a happy family life. I have been married to my wife Anna for 14 years and we have three sons: Shane Jr. 19, Aaron 16 and Benjamin 14. Anna recently lost her job due to the business closing. She is currently a full-time student trying to become a registered nurse. While the social security administration acknowledges that I am completely disabled they deny me benefits stating that my wife's unemployment is too high. So here we are a family of five living with my mother, brother, and his girlfriend in a single-family home. To say the least it is very crowded. My wife Anna worked for 20 years to support us and had always dreamed of our own home. Now that dream is fading away. My sons also have issues that we deal with on a daily basis. My oldest Shane has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder so for him living in these crowded conditions is a daily struggle. My youngest son Ben has in the last 5 years had 2 surgeries on his hips to place screws into his bones to stop the hips from dislocating. Ben has a non-functioning thyroid, which is causing his bones to deteriorate. While the surgery has corrected the problem for now he will be on medication for the rest of his life to stop any further problems. The dream of owning our own home is fading fast. We can't save money for down payments due to the cost of living where we are. And although social security says that we make enough to support ourselves it doesn't allow for the saving factor. While our bills get paid each month and our children are clothed and fed we simply cannot save. All we have ever wanted is to have a place to call our own and that dream now seems impossible. My disability consists of several conditions. I have 2 torn rotator cuffs, I had surgery on my knee, which went bad and now I need a knee replacement. I also have social anxiety disorder and depression, as well as agoraphobia (fear of leaving the home). My official disability status is totally disabled permanently. My wife lost her job in February 2011 due to the company closing. She now collects unemployment while attending school. Her unemployment is our only source of income due to the fact that Social Security states that she makes too much on unemployment. I have applied for SSDI. I get help from PACE each month with food. We also get food stamps, which amounts to $86 a month for a family of 5. I am a regular visitor to the local food banks in and around my community. I am looking for a grant to help finance the purchase of a home, so that I can be in an environment that feels safe to me. Being disabled by social anxiety and depression, I need to have a place to be able to function.
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