PORT of sulphur, introduction — even before Gulf oil spill, Reddick Jennifer was only getting there by lives paycheck paycheck as it tried to support six children in 400 dollars a week she did work part-time as creator net deckhand and shrimp.
Then well BP blew out off the coast of Louisiana, ????????? tourists and shut down. Now is all work and money not to buy her a new holiday toys or clothes. Charities providing they can, but it is difficult to Reddick take handouts.
"There has never been easier before, but we could make it," said Reddick, 30, of the small fishing town of Buris, along the Mississippi River. "I even I couldn't afford the Christmas this year for the children."
For many people in the Gulf Coast, there must be lots of Christmas cheer.
More than five months since the bar was capped at last after spewing millions of gallons of bots into the Bay. Shrimpers and they occupy and selling only oystermen fraction of previous work. Business owners who saw summer of loss of revenue is still struggling to pay their bills, and many lay off employees to make it through the slow winter months.
Louisiana Society of beach has assets see requests for help. Many come from people who have never asked for assistance before.
"After Katrina, it wasn't like that," said Joannie Hughes, who together with Vickie Perrin has once across the area to move night Christmas Toys families 112.
Perrin said economic impact only begins to ripple through communities, from fishermen to grocery shops and restaurants.
"He, like a pebble thrown into the pond. And we are only a few waves, "she said.
Second Harvest Food Bank has also a big families seeking assistance with food for the first time. Since may, the Group has distributed more than 1 million pounds of food in 12 regions of Louisiana, the equivalent of the meals 844,760, families injured by spill, said spokeswoman Leslie Doles.
That is in addition to more than 9 million pounds of food to give these people a poor districts during the months it, mostly families who need assistance in any case.
After the spill, many people found temporary jobs on oil cleaning crew, but these operations the winding. Some lost money due to spill their first payment still pending from 20 billion Fund established by BP compensate the victims, while others have to pay only a fraction of what it claims to be lost.
The program includes some of the more than 168,000 false charges 2.5 billion. Was to submit claims 467,000.
Sports fishing guide Helmer Mike received money Fund BP to cover his summer of losses, but business is still down more than 50%, is coping with whether to accept Commission final from the company requiring him to sign his claim at a later time.
"This is betting that we simply don't know what the next year will be like, or the year after that," said Helmer. "So there is no real bet."
For him, Christmas brings only more concerns. He tries to keep the holidays as close to normal as possible for his wife and two children, but do not know if it is the pressure will also be a business over the next few years he wears it.
"It's a lot of things in the back of my mind," said Helmer. "We're not the poverty line, but it's still that keeps us in the future."
Isadore Creppel Carter, 57, shrimper Venice city, already has support himself as a fisherman since he was 16. Has weathered hurricanes and economic downturns for years and always to sign back in and it was provided. But now accumulated bills.
He has worked since the spill outside and said he couldn't work for BP to clear because of their asthma. He received money from the oil company, "but not nearly what I target".
"I always say to myself, things will get better, it would be better down the road, like the light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "But now, it feels like only cancelled it light BP".
He was a medicine for stress and depression, which only has it worse with the holidays. There will be no toys sent his grandchildren, the book does not provide or dolls.
"Not going to have us Christmas this year," he said.
Reddick, mother of six, he said that it is trying to keep it together for children this Christmas.
"I don't want them to see me cry," she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment