
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 25, 1993                   TAG: 9311250273
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D5   EDITION: HOLIDAY 
SOURCE: BETSY BIESENBACH STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

EVEN SIMPLE DREAMS CAN BE HARD TO REALIZE

Dottie (not her real name), 50, would like to be a registered nurse. She'd like to work in a hospital maternity or pediatric ward, in a place where she would have sick leave, vacation and medical benefits. She'd also like to get out of the two-bedroom apartment she shares with her teen-age daughter and her son's 6-year-old child.

But as simple as these dreams may seem, they may never come true. Dottie works hard to take care of her family and to make a good life for them, but obstacles always seem to pop up.

Dottie works as a sitter/companion. In the past, "we made out okay," Dottie said, although she has never been able to afford medical insurance. She is studying to become a licensed practical nurse, but the $75 certification testing fee is a lot of money.

Dottie usually works steadily, but this summer, the jobs ran out. Around the same time, her daughter had an accident and was seriously injured.

Her daughter is convalescing at home, and Dottie has a job. But she can only work five hours a day and no nights or weekends, because she is taking care of her grandchild.

Her daughter's father helps out when he can, Dottie said, but he doesn't have insurance either, and Dottie is responsible for paying for the girl's hospitalization and physical therapy. The grandson also needs care for a chronic condition.

By autumn, the family needed help with the electric bills, and Dottie's daughter had just been discharged from the hospital. There was no money for the prescription medicines she needed.

So Dottie went to Roanoke Area Ministries and applied for money from the Good Neighbors Fund.

"We barely got along for a while," she said. The money from RAM didn't pay the whole bill, but it made things a little easier.

"The people have been really, really nice," she said, but asking for help was difficult.

"You want to make it on your own. I'm used to being independent."

Checks should be made payable to Good Neighbors Fund and mailed to Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 1951, Roanoke 24008.

by CNB