TERRE HAUTE — A crowd of around 150 gathered Wednesday in Chauncey Rose Middle School to tell state officials about their experiences with Indiana’s modified welfare system.
Several people cried or became visibly upset telling elected and appointed state officials what they believe is wrong with recent changes in the way the state handles welfare renewals and applications.
“I just think this whole system is terrible,” said Yvette Setzer, 31, of Brazil, who spoke at the forum. Setzer, who has three young children and is a single mother, said her food stamps were cut under the new system. “I miss several meals,” she said. “I would love to get out and work … I can’t work and there is not enough food.”
Most of the complaints about the new welfare system had to do with trouble people said they are having getting their benefits approved using the state’s new telephone or computer intake systems. Several people told of being put on hold for long periods of time or having paperwork lost.
“I wouldn’t have a job if I kept losing paperwork like that,” said Myra Wilkey, executive director of Mental Health America of Vigo County, who was among about 40 people who spoke at the 21/2-hour forum. Many of her agency’s clients are unable to use the new telephone intake system, she said. Many have to wait for up to 45 minutes on hold before losing patience and hanging up.
“We have to start the process all over again,” Wilkey said. “They need to talk to [caseworkers] face to face,” she said.
Under Indiana’s former welfare intake system, welfare recipients met with case workers individually. The new system, being implemented gradually across the state, encourages welfare recipients to apply for benefits over the telephone or over the Internet. The new system uses a private company under a state contract to implement the intake process.
“I have been fighting the system,” said Teresa Walker, mother of Collin Walker, a 4-year-old boy allegedly fatally stabbed last year by his father, Katron. Walker said her surviving son, Monte, who was injured at the same time, has been without health insurance since December. On three occasions, Walker said she had to miss work waiting for telephone interviews scheduled with welfare workers. “These are three times I’ve had to miss work,” she said.
“Please make the changes and please help my son get the treatment that he needs,” Walker told the state officials at the meeting.
Samantha Carpenter of Terre Haute said she lost food stamp benefits for her two young sons under the new system. During the process of reapplying, she was told to fax a birth certificate to state officials, which she did, she said. “They said they never received the fax,” Carpenter said. Eventually she would send faxes seven times, Carpenter said. “I don’t have enough for food” because of poor communication, she said.
Kim Norris, 38, of Terre Haute also attended the forum. She also spoke of problems with lost paperwork under the new system causing her and her family to lose benefits, she said. Welfare officials told Norris they needed a three-question form completed before they could process her application, but then, “they never mailed it to me,” she said.
Welfare officials attended Wednesday’s forum and set up tables in a nearby room. People having trouble with the new system were encouraged to speak to welfare officials to seek help. After seeking help at the forum, Norris said welfare officials assured her that her family’s benefit’s would be reinstated today, but “we’ll see,” she said.
“I’m not here to play defense,” said Zach Main, deputy director of the Division of Family Resources for the Indiana FSSA, who attended the forum. The system has undergone significant change, he said. “We know they’ve been far from perfect,” he said. Main attended the forum to “hear what the issues are,” he said.
Wednesday’s forum was hosted by state representatives Vern Tincher, D-Riley, and Clyde Kersey, D-Terre Haute as well as by Glenn Cardwell, retired Vigo County welfare director. Also at the forum in the audience were Republican state representative candidates Bob Heaton and Ryan Cummins.
“Just a small portion of the people being affected [by the new system] are in this room,” said Jim Edwards, director of Ryves Hall in Terre Haute. Ryves Hall is among the voluntary organizations helping people apply for benefits under the new system. Yet the new system isn’t working, Edwards said, and “the children are the ones that are suffering.”
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
ZZZ Delete Legacy
Valley residents voice opinions on Indiana’s modified welfare system
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Florence Elizabeth 'Flo' Hogue
Florence Elizabeth “Flo” Hogue, 87, of Terre Haute, passed away Saturday, June 26, 2010, in Union Hospital. Florence worked many years for Albert Pick Motel before retirement. She was born Aug. 4, 1922, in Red Oak, Iowa, to Samuel Valentine and Nancy Jane (Allendar) Valentine.
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Kenneth E. Levin
Kenneth E. Levin, formerly of Terre Haute, passed away Saturday, June 26, 2010, in The Villages, Fla. Kenneth was born May 3, 1924, to A.N. Levin and Jenny (Brown) Levin, in Terre Haute.
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Ruth Ann Dugger Morris
Ruth Ann Dugger Morris, 80, of Terre Haute, died Saturday, June 26, 2010, at Terre Haute Regional Hospital. Ruth Ann was born Aug. 26, 1929, in Vigo County, to Georgia Dugger Dickey and Roy Dugger.
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Audrey Olah
Audrey Olah, 90, of Terre Haute, died June 22, 2010, at Southwood Health & Rehabilitation Center. Born at home on Oct. 14, 1919, in rural Clay County, she endured the Great Depression as a farmer’s daughter in Lewis, worked at Owens- Illinois Glass Company during World War II, and was an initial hire of Dr. Morey’s Glas-Col Apparatus Co.
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Harrison Cabell Shade
Harrison Cabell Shade, 81, of Terre Haute, died Thursday, June 24, 2010, at Terre Haute Regional Hospital. Born April 20, 1929, in Terre Haute, to Henry Shade and Sheppelle Morton Shade.
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Norma Mae McAtee
LINTON — Nora Mae McAtee, 91, of Linton, passed away Monday, June 28, 2010, at Glenburn Home. She was born in Knox County, on May 25, 1919, to Albert Clarence and Anna Mary (Strahle) Miller.
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Ronald Dale Rozina
CLINTON — Ronald Dale Rozina, 53, of Clinton, passed away Sunday, June 27, 2010, at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He was born Sept. 21, 1956, in Clinton, the son of John “Shine” Rozina and Frieda Hinkle Rozina.
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Jerry Rex McDonald
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — Jerry Rex McDonald, 77, of Martinsville, passed from this life on Saturday, June 26, 2010, at 2:09 p.m., at Community Hospital South in Indianapolis. He was born in Riley, on Feb. 15, 1933, to the late Harry E. McDonald and Lucille (Reed) Barnett.
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Madelyne Skipo
Madelyne Skipo, 86, of Terre Haute, went home to be with the Lord early Saturday evening, June 26, 2010, at Davis Gardens Health Center. She was born Sept. 29, 1923, in Hymera, to Tracey and Hayley Mahan.
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William D. Farris
BRAZIL — William D. Farris, 76, of Brazil, died Sunday, June 27, 2010, at the Exceptional Living Center. He was born May 29, 1934, in Brazil, the son of Stanley and Vada (Flockhart) Farris.
- Death Notice: June 29, 2010
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William Freeman
BRAZIL — William Freeman, 75, of Brazil, passed away at St. Vincent Clay Hospital’s emergency room, on June 28, 2010, from an apparent heart attack. He was born in Clay City, on Aug. 15, 1934, the son of Russell and Lora (Greenwell) Freeman.
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Jewell M. Ennen
Jewell M. Ennen, 80, of Terre Haute, died at 4:25 a.m. Thursday, June 24, 2010. She was born in Phoenix, on March 20, 1930, to Merlin and Odessa (Caldwell) Arthur.
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Valerio Chironna
Lifelong Staten Islander Valerio (Val) Chironna, 86, of Eltingville, the owner of a fuel oil company, died Saturday, June 12, 2010, in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, N.Y.
- Death Notices: June 25, 2010
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Ruth P. Klingler Lietchy
Ruth P. Klingler Liechty, 85, of Terre Haute, died at 8:53 a.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2010, in Davis Gardens Health Center. She was born in Clay County, on June 5, 1925, to Uly Klingler and Mary Rentschler Klingler.
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Pauline Arnold Mobley
Pauline Arnold Mobley, 89, passed from this Earth on Wednesday, June 23, 2010, at Meadows Manor North Nursing Home, where she resided for six years. Pauline was born Oct. 21, 1920, to John Ernst Arnold and Ora Alta Wilson.
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Mary Margaret Curry
Mary Margaret Curry, 70, of Terre Haute, passed away at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 20, 2010, in Terre Haute Regional Hospital. She was born in Matheson Ontario, Canada, on July 10, 1939, to William Melville Moffat and Mary Janet Mulligan Moffat.
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Beulah F. Funk
Beulah F. Funk, 81, of Terre Haute, passed away Sunday afternoon, June 20, 2010, at the ELC of Brazil. She was born Sept. 30, 1928, in Vincennes, to John Huebner and Agnes Bowman Huebner.
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Robert T. Scott
SULLIVAN — Robert T. Scott, 91, of Sullivan, and formerly of Farmersburg, died June 21, 2010, in Sullivan County Community Hospital. He was born Feb. 7, 1919, to Thomas and Edith (Lewis) Scott.
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Maxine LaVerna Noble
Maxine LaVerna Noble, 81, of Terre Haute, passed away at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, June 20, 2010, at Southwood Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was born in Terre Haute, on June 20, 1929, to Albert Lowe and Stella Rice Lowe.
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Charles 'Pune' William Ellinger Jr.
Charles “Pune” William Ellinger Jr., 58, of Terre Haute, passed away on June 19, 2010, at 9:25 p.m., at Union Hospital. He was born June 25, 1951. in Terre Haute, to Charles W. Ellinger and Betty L. Hooker Ellinger.
- Death Notices: June 22, 2010
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Saralu Thomas
DANA — Saralu Thomas, 86, of Dana, died at 5 a.m. Monday, June 21, 2010, at the Waters Nursing Home of Clinton. She was the retired owner/operator of Thomas Corner Store, in Dana, for 16 years. She was born Sept. 5, 1923, in Dana, to the late Dwight Thompson and Millie Thomson Thompson.
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June Evelyn Trout Mormans
STAUNTON — June Evelyn Trout Mormans passed away in her home on Saturday, June 19, 2010. She was born July 1, 1928, to Clarence and Winifred (Gilliatt) Trout, and was a life-long resident of Staunton.
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Marjorie E. Muir Allbright Wiot
Marjorie E. Muir Allbright Wiot, 85, of Terre Haute, formerly of Parke County, passed away at 1:20 a.m. Sunday, June 20, 2010, at Davis Gardens Health Center, in Terre Haute, from natural causes. Born June 10, 1925, in Parke County, she was the daughter of Carl J. Muir and Alice Wimmer Muir.
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Gregory D. Barnett
BRAZIL — Gregory D. Barnett, 58, died Sunday, June 20, 2010, at St. Vincent Clay Hospital. He was born Feb. 27, 1952, in Kokomo, to Donald A. and Johanna Keegan Barnett.
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Tyler E. Jackson
Tyler E. Jackson, 21, of Terre Haute, passed away Tuesday morning, June 15, 2010. He was employed with Walmart in Terre Haute. He was born Nov. 14, 1988, in Jasper.
- Death Notices: June 18, 2010
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Franklin John Followell
Franklin John Followell, 74, of Terre Haute, died in Terre Haute Regional Hospital Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at 8:50 p.m. He was born on March 19, 1936, in Sullivan County, to William Homer Followell and Florence (Martin) Followell.
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