Hi! This might be kind of a long-ish vent post but also asking for advice. I am 19 years old now. A week after my 18th birthday I ran away and moved out of my parents house to live on the streets because…let’s just say they made my life a really bumpy ride and the street option was much more preferable. I’ve been really stressed out about everything recently, mainly my financial situation. I was lucky to have survived homelessness in NYC but the cost was having a random stranger steal my stuff while I was asleep at a park (which included my birth cert and SSN). I finally decided to move in with my gf in a different state but there’s not much to look forward to here. At least her parents are helping us with rent but not much else and she doesn’t have that much money to help me because she wants to save the rest for “the future”. Literally what are you not telling me? What is it for? (Though I might be in the wrong here about her motives but idfk). Back on topic, the social security administration has been threatening to take my disability/SSI which i will no longer have by the end of this month (to be honest they had cut it off a while ago or my mom is lying to me while they’re in the process of cutting it off to take money for herself since she is the payee). My only source of income cut off just like that. I have tried to look for a job but no one wants to hire me (and you know you fucked up somewhere when not even McDonald’s or Amazon wants to hire you which is arguably the lowest you could possibly go). I seriously wonder why they won’t hire me. Is it because I have no job experience, my identities, psych ward history (which wasn’t my fault my mom lied), or all three? Then I have been trying something. “I have been doing art for almost a decade. Why not do art commissions? This is something I’ve always been really passionate with.” And guess what? No one wants to buy my art and I only burnt myself out in the process of trying to make a living out of my only talent/passion. Now I got very desperate. I started trying those survey apps and pay-to-earn games but they’re either scams to get you to watch ads or they are legit but only pay a few cents at a time. Heck, if it was legal I would 1000000% willingly sell ALL of my organs. I’m just really stressed about not having enough money to get all the things I need or barely even survive really. I never leave the apartment because everything is so far from us (and we don’t have a car but not like im legally allowed to drive anyway thanks to seizures. /s) I want a way out and I don’t know what else to do…
We’re really backed against a wall because our system wasn’t built for people like us.
If you were in a more privileged position, I’d recommend finding a way to make money by making things. I used to feed myself by doing contracted jobs in my career field, and I’m trying to get into reselling cars, but obvi this kind of thing isn’t an option for everyone. IDK what the culture for contracted artwork is like, but you might be able to find a site or listings from people looking for artists, and try a route like that. But I’ll reiterate, I dunno about that.
Also don’t feel bad about not being able to find work. Last year employers were forced to realize they do nothing for society, and they’re taking it out on everyone. So, not only are they complaining that “no one wants to work”, they’re also being way too choosey about who they want to hire while also refusing to provide better pay or better benefits. I’ve been job hunting for the better part of 5 months in a city with tons of work, I’ve applied to gods know how many places at this point, and I literally only heard back from one place. (I missed their call, and they didn’t pick up when I called back). The job market is really rough rn, and it’s entirely the fault of employers.
You might be able to find craigslist jobs, though those usually imply learning a new skill or being able to travel frequently to do business with total strangers, often in their homes. So, that might not be an option for you. Though, at least in my experience, those jobs usually pay in cash - which is nice when you don’t have a bank account (legit I didn’t have a “real” bank account until about 5 months ago, craigslist carpentry jobs kept me alive for a couple of months a few years ago). You might also be able to get a job with a temp agency, but everyone I know who does tempwork says it’s traumatic and highly exploitative, and they’d do literally anything else if they had the privilege. Also, I hear looking for work at places like GoodWill almost always results in employment, because they’ll hire just about anyone. The same with cleaning and janitorial jobs, though you’d have to work with strong smells, caustic materials, and disgusting conditions. I’d suggest looking for entry-level security jobs, but you’d have to prove your identity and that’s hard to do without your SSN and BC. Unfortunately a lot of workplaces require a license now (even jobs that have nothing to do with driving), and that’s one of the things that’s really fucking me up, and I’m sure that’s fucking you up too. If there are charity organizations around you, they seem to tend to hire just about anyone too - though don’t expect wonderful pay or benefits.
TBH the best thing you can do rn is to try your best to get a license, as that looks like something employers demand that you have now-a-days, then just hope that helps you find work somewhere.
Otherwise, I don’t really know what else to suggest. I wish I could be of more help, but our system is really fucked rn and we’re all hurting because of it.
Thank you so much for the advice I highly appreciate it!