Echoing that you are not a dick.
Sometimes life can throw more at us than our bodies and brains are able to cope with at once.
Back when I was actively working with the homeless, one of our biggest missions was to improve their sense of self value. It’s common to fall into a mindset where you think you’re worthless and no one will care about you. DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN TO YOU. This thread can help as an anchor of people who do care.
That being said…sounds like you’re doing the right things. The shelter is great news. And having a place to store things is HUGE.
Good luck with the jobs, and the car.
-D/a
Hey 'Dorothy, just wondering how it’s going with you - hope some of the job interviews have paid off, and you’ve managed to sort yourself out with a car.
Thinking of you!
Me, too. Hang in there; hope things are looking up. If they’re not, please let us know how we might help.
Dropping by to see if you’ve found ‘room at the inn’, as it were. We’re pulling for you.
Not a single call for a job interview. A lot of the places that have you apply online have this silly test where they ask you like four questions in seventeen different ways each. I once took a test like this for a job at J.C. Penney or something and they just rejected me outright at the end of it. So I don’t know if I’m doing that wrong or what. And if so, how I’m doing it wrong. They’re kind of crazymaking in that the whole test feels like a trick with all the questions that ask the same things in different ways.
And my current job has taken me off the schedule for now because the manager said I needed time to get my act together. Which would be all well and good if I were getting some kind of vacation pay or something, but I don’t get money unless I work and that sets everything back.
I do have a dogsitting gig coming up, so I’ll be staying in a nice house for a few days and being paid. I don’t know if this will lose me my place in the shelter or not.
The closest place I found with donated car programs is about 100 miles away and the website is defunct. The car is totaled, so the insurance company sends a check… to my mom, who has the title to my car (she paid for it initially and I paid her back in increments). And because this is the second time I’ve gotten in a car accident, she’s keeping said check and says it’s up to me to worry about a new car. I’m going to the bank tomorrow to ask about a car loan. I don’t know what exactly I need in order to get that, but I guess I’ll find out.
I’m very, very frustrated. Applying for more jobs today and actually just logged in to go back over the stuff that lavenderviolet posted a while ago.
I think I’m going to take my lip ring out and see if that helps. This makes me much sadder than it should. I was willing to take it out if I got a job that wouldn’t allow it, but was hoping it wouldn’t keep me from getting a job in the first place. I mean, it’s just one lip ring and the rest of me looks pretty conservative- no other piercings, tattoos, pink hair, wild makeup, anything like that. But if I have to take it out, I’ll take it out.
Oh, and for those who have asked about paypal… I tried setting up an account, but it’s being goofy. It says it wants to transfer some small amount of money into my account and then I’m supposed to go back and say what amount it was to confirm that it’s actually my account. But it never transfers. I suppose I’ll ask about that, too, when I go to the bank tomorrow.
Good luck and stay warm. I’ve been in St. Louis during the holidays.
I’m not sure if it’s been suggested, but you may also want to look at Craig’s List for potential odd jobs. People needing their yard picked up for an easy $20 or so. Or sometimes local businesses need someone for a random position. You’ll need a digital resumé for most of those places.
Do be careful though, it is very disconcerting to send my resumé out that contains my name, phone number and address.
Are resumés still supposed to have your address on them these days?
W/ the holidays ramping up, hotels and caterers are hiring extra staff for behind-the-scenes work - dishes, cleaning, extra delivery helpers and the like. If you’re lucky enough to get a serving job there’s usually cash tips in it for you, not to mention all the leftovers there are at banquets.
IIRC when I set up my Paypal it took a few days for the money transfer to go through.
According to recent resume-prep classes I’ve been in, yes.
Just thinking of you Dorothy, and hoping you’ve got a place to be this Thanksgiving.
Yes, but at least in my neck of the woods it’s the least important bit of information. You could leave it off and people would only think you’re concerned about privacy. An email address is more important.
Hi SD, I’m thinking and hoping and praying for you too. Remember to give us a shout for help if and when you need it.
Employers like your boss drive me crazy. They want you to get your act together but Gd forbid them lending you a hand or giving you the stability you need to make that happen. Though I’ve experienced these people, I can happily say there are plenty of the good ones out there and perhaps you will find one of those.
Check with Salvation Army - perhaps they could use bell ringers. Check with delivery services. Many like to put a second person on a truck to speed up deliveries at this time of year. And definitely keep your eye on Craigslist but beware of scams.
If you’ve paid her back in full, why is she keeping your money? That seems odd.
I go with “theft” rather than odd. She knows you’re homeless and staying in a hostel, so she decides to steal your money? I don’t think the words I have for your mother are appropriate for this form 'Dorothy 
I was wondering if you’d talked to your mom, too, but it sounds like you have. I was hoping against hope that “she won’t help in any other way but the phone” meant that she didn’t know of your situation.
Except for an instance where my kid was stealing from me to support a heroin habit or something and I had to do some “tough love” (and believe me, I think it would kill me), I can’t imagine being OK with my kid being on the street, or in their car, or in a shelter. I just…can’t.
Thinking of you, D.
I just want to provide sympathy, because I have some shitty family members too.
Also, I found this site which provides a supposed answer key to those job personality tests. I don’t know if it’s legit or not, but I figure at this point it can’t hurt: http://melbel.hubpages.com/hub/Unicru
Actually, here is an even more complete one: Unicru Answer Key
Bumping to see if there are any updates. How are you doing, Dorothy? We’re still worrying about you!
never mind.