I was born in Alton and poor but realized that there were opportunities for a better life elsewhere. Having applied myself and educated myself by simply reading about money and working hard, living cheap I've succeeded. Though I could have lived life like my parents, family I didn't. My greatest weapon against poverty though was simply not having kids.
Casual reproduction by the poor is the number one cause of poverty. Fewer kids or none is the solution.
I also wish to qualify my "thug" comment. My car had a window shot out of it at 630am in my driveway shortly after someone called my house and asked my mother how she liked having a scab for a son. How was I a scab? My dad was a manager at the time and I was asked at 18yrs old to mow the front of the property. It wasn't even a union job and had nothing to do with manufacturing. Yeah, I have no love of unions. They've served their purpose. I won't be surprised if Lender's has layoffs.
Well, for one thing, putting a union at Lender's Bagels was a huge mistake. Unions tend to make the companies run! I was personally affected by union thugs when I lived in Mattoon in the mid-80's. Young Radiator shut down after 35 years there because they kept going on strike. They relocated to my current home in TN and have been union-free since. I work at Pinnacle Foods in Jackson, TN. They couldn't even get enough cards for a vote.
There is a difference between losing a job and choosing not to work. This is Mattoon's legacy. Pure and simple. This will be a crime ridden dump before too long.
I highly disagree with your opinion of the majority of Mattoon citizens. I however see the many people who work hard & still can't make ends meet. This video is about those folks.
I do have one citizen who cannot work because her doctor does not feel that is any job she can do that does not involve stress. This individual is my mother, a single mother since 1987 who worked hard going to school to become an LPN & day care provider and preschool teacher. Every day she wishes she could work again.
The other folks in the video are citizens who work hard but still can't afford to provide the kind of lifestyle their families deserve. Two are recent college graduates. I just received my Bachelor's & applied like crazy for jobs in my field even before I took finals, but the competition is ridiculous. I lost the jobs to folks with 10+ years of experience, which were entry level to begin with.
Like those folks, I am forced to apply for positions that are a tremendous step down from what I have been educated to do. I am still working part time, because I am battling people for positions that use to be for teenagers. I am up now job searching, but I do have two possible positions. They both pay $8/hr. and have nothing to do with the broadcasting field.
I will defend those who are not working right now. It is so hard right now even to work at a fast food place. Educated people & those who have been working longer than I have been alive are fighting for even these types of jobs.
Never in my lifetime would I have thought it would be this way. But it is. Some people have given up hope, the will to fight for low paying jobs, some have lost the confidence in their abilities. While some sit on their butt & don't mind it, I refuse to believe that the general public is that way. I speak for Mattooon or any American community.
I have pride in this community & even though I am struggling I do everything I can to provide service to those in need. I look at the overall good in people. There are people way worse off than I, & nobody is this country should go without basic needs. But they are.
If you feel this way about the people of Mattoon, pray for them. Pray they gain hope & desire to do better for themselves & their families. Pray that everyone desiring a job receives one. But please don't give up on the people in this community. I refuse to believe that Mattoon will become a "crime ridden dump." It is a community that will rise & prosper. I will not settle for less.
Actually video footage was taken from all over town. Poverty is scattered about in Mattoon, and also in nice neighborhoods where you wouldn't expect it.
if it's a big problem to you why are you using a video camera that you shouldnt have bought and spending time you should be looking for a job making this video?!?!?!?!
This was an assignment for my Documetary Production class last spring semester at EIU. The cameras & all other equipment are borrowed from the school. I have a job!
I sure did. A lot of the bad bad houses were on Dewitt, Moultrie, Commercial, Broadway, and Charleston Ave., as well as Dewitt, Richmond, Shelby, Pine Acres, and Champaign Ave. It is sad that people can't afford to fix their houses or rent better ones. Times just keep getting harder to top it off.
I am a employee of Ampad we are doing ok since most of the jobs in our plant went to Mexico but we have been working 12 hour shifts to cover for people we no longer have
We have full time employees not as many when i started there we have the temps there too but it is the case when our work load is slow we let the temps go right now it is ok i make 11;89 a hour right now i am in the lowest grade in the plant grade 10
It seems like a lot of factories around here are at that same level. I know I have been laid off as a temp worker places just before I was supposed to get that raise. It really stinks for those who have work in only factories for all of their lives & those who take care of their family on one factory income. $11.89 truly isn't that much w/ increasing costs. I hope something changes w/ our new president.
Mattoon just keeps on going down hill every year . Most of all the bussiness here just wan tto pay min wage and that dont cut it and also most of the factorys use temps so they dont have to hire anyone and the temp companys pay next to nothing . rent is also going through the roof . we need people in city office who cares about the people of mattoon and help bring good paying jobs back .
Yes that is very true. A lot of the factories hire temporary & just before the person is suppose to go full time they say they don't need the temps anymore. Yet you will notice the same temp service hiring for the job you just got taken off of like a week later. It isn't right to mess with people's minds like that, making them think... "finally I have a great job & can provide for myself/my family."
Well even if there were more jobs, there still are ppl that cant work and no one wants to help them anymore. I'm 13 and live with my mom and brother with absolutly no income except a monthly check for living in our apartments for $104 and thats all. The public aid that we recieve is also now doing no good when it comes to medical bills because of doctors not taking medical card anymore. Either way poverty will happen and we brought it on ourselves.
The "true" agenda of this film was to show that poverty is absolutely everywhere. That my hometown needs some loving care. But MOST importantly, that people living in poverty DO try to get out of their situation for the most part. That the bulk of those living in poverty work hard but still can't make it. Also, I wanted to show that all people in poverty are not uneducated and lazy, which a lot of people I have found to believe.
Thank you. Poverty is a huge concern to me, while I'm currently pulling myself out of poverty... the issue is very important to me. I figure if we can conquer poverty in small communities, we can work our way to larger communities, even countries. I imagine if there is a solution, it can be amended for any community.
Hey Deb. Good work on this. I've been away for a long time, and though I could have guessed, I didn't know the situation was as bad as this. Good for you for putting the word out.
Speaking to the production value, it's a great way to show my French and British friends what my hometown looks like, so I thank you for that. Hopefully things can improve soon so the next one I show to them can celebrate the town's recovery and prosperity.
Yeah, it's pretty bad & it bothers me terribly. Driving by the food bank was absolute torture. The first time I drove by there were about 5 people but my camera was off, so I drove by again in 5 minutes or less. By that time there was a lot more people, and I'm sure they were different people. I do hope something happens soon, I'm terribly worried about the state of the town.
I grew up in mattoon but live and work in charleston now. Great video. What are some other subjects you would like explore in future videos? Keep up the good work.
Thanks it has not been easy. Yeah maybe I will do some independent study & target that idea, I did want to put more about the fact most ppl live here because of the schools & low crime rate. I just feel sad that the town I grew up in needs so much help. I hope something will be done once we get a new president.
I do not think a change of administration would help mattoons economy unless Futuregen gets the greenlight because of the change. Otherwise the trickle down effect would be imperceptible. I think what you are doing would have a greater and more positive impact. Showing Mattoons good schools and other good points might bring more people to town. They would buy available houses and rehab others, spurring the local economy in the process. Again, great work.
I do think we need Futuregen to fix this. I also think there should be more programs to help people fix their houses. I would have liked to show a lot more, but this was only a 10 minute film for a class. I couldn't cover absolutely everything of course, but I would like to do more in the future. I would love to do more on poverty in disguise. People living in nice houses & have nice cars but are on the verge of bankruptcy. No one wants to admit they are in poverty.
What cases poverty, what perpetuates it?
I was born in Alton and poor but realized that there were opportunities for a better life elsewhere. Having applied myself and educated myself by simply reading about money and working hard, living cheap I've succeeded. Though I could have lived life like my parents, family I didn't. My greatest weapon against poverty though was simply not having kids.
Casual reproduction by the poor is the number one cause of poverty. Fewer kids or none is the solution.
embracingreality 1 year ago
I also wish to qualify my "thug" comment. My car had a window shot out of it at 630am in my driveway shortly after someone called my house and asked my mother how she liked having a scab for a son. How was I a scab? My dad was a manager at the time and I was asked at 18yrs old to mow the front of the property. It wasn't even a union job and had nothing to do with manufacturing. Yeah, I have no love of unions. They've served their purpose. I won't be surprised if Lender's has layoffs.
tklagesse67 2 years ago
Well, for one thing, putting a union at Lender's Bagels was a huge mistake. Unions tend to make the companies run! I was personally affected by union thugs when I lived in Mattoon in the mid-80's. Young Radiator shut down after 35 years there because they kept going on strike. They relocated to my current home in TN and have been union-free since. I work at Pinnacle Foods in Jackson, TN. They couldn't even get enough cards for a vote.
tklagesse67 2 years ago
There is a difference between losing a job and choosing not to work. This is Mattoon's legacy. Pure and simple. This will be a crime ridden dump before too long.
chaney75 2 years ago
I highly disagree with your opinion of the majority of Mattoon citizens. I however see the many people who work hard & still can't make ends meet. This video is about those folks.
I do have one citizen who cannot work because her doctor does not feel that is any job she can do that does not involve stress. This individual is my mother, a single mother since 1987 who worked hard going to school to become an LPN & day care provider and preschool teacher. Every day she wishes she could work again.
blondie61938 2 years ago
The other folks in the video are citizens who work hard but still can't afford to provide the kind of lifestyle their families deserve. Two are recent college graduates. I just received my Bachelor's & applied like crazy for jobs in my field even before I took finals, but the competition is ridiculous. I lost the jobs to folks with 10+ years of experience, which were entry level to begin with.
blondie61938 2 years ago
Like those folks, I am forced to apply for positions that are a tremendous step down from what I have been educated to do. I am still working part time, because I am battling people for positions that use to be for teenagers. I am up now job searching, but I do have two possible positions. They both pay $8/hr. and have nothing to do with the broadcasting field.
blondie61938 2 years ago
I will defend those who are not working right now. It is so hard right now even to work at a fast food place. Educated people & those who have been working longer than I have been alive are fighting for even these types of jobs.
blondie61938 2 years ago
Never in my lifetime would I have thought it would be this way. But it is. Some people have given up hope, the will to fight for low paying jobs, some have lost the confidence in their abilities. While some sit on their butt & don't mind it, I refuse to believe that the general public is that way. I speak for Mattooon or any American community.
blondie61938 2 years ago
I have pride in this community & even though I am struggling I do everything I can to provide service to those in need. I look at the overall good in people. There are people way worse off than I, & nobody is this country should go without basic needs. But they are.
blondie61938 2 years ago
If you feel this way about the people of Mattoon, pray for them. Pray they gain hope & desire to do better for themselves & their families. Pray that everyone desiring a job receives one. But please don't give up on the people in this community. I refuse to believe that Mattoon will become a "crime ridden dump." It is a community that will rise & prosper. I will not settle for less.
blondie61938 2 years ago
LOL thats my moms car at the salvation army. The red one. How funny. And Beth Smith get the heck off of here. Nobody wants to see your face. lol
koalalover7504 2 years ago
Comment removed
saalbunch 2 years ago
Actually video footage was taken from all over town. Poverty is scattered about in Mattoon, and also in nice neighborhoods where you wouldn't expect it.
blondie61938 2 years ago
if it's a big problem to you why are you using a video camera that you shouldnt have bought and spending time you should be looking for a job making this video?!?!?!?!
schlorn 2 years ago
This was an assignment for my Documetary Production class last spring semester at EIU. The cameras & all other equipment are borrowed from the school. I have a job!
blondie61938 2 years ago
I sure did. A lot of the bad bad houses were on Dewitt, Moultrie, Commercial, Broadway, and Charleston Ave., as well as Dewitt, Richmond, Shelby, Pine Acres, and Champaign Ave. It is sad that people can't afford to fix their houses or rent better ones. Times just keep getting harder to top it off.
blondie61938 3 years ago
Oh my, looks like you went down Commercial Ave, am I correct? It's actually sad how people have to live like that. =/
61938kitty61938 3 years ago
I am a employee of Ampad we are doing ok since most of the jobs in our plant went to Mexico but we have been working 12 hour shifts to cover for people we no longer have
kempsmith7 3 years ago
I was told that Ampad's employees are primarily temps, which are not applicable of getting a raise. Is that true?
blondie61938 3 years ago
We have full time employees not as many when i started there we have the temps there too but it is the case when our work load is slow we let the temps go right now it is ok i make 11;89 a hour right now i am in the lowest grade in the plant grade 10
kempsmith7 3 years ago
It seems like a lot of factories around here are at that same level. I know I have been laid off as a temp worker places just before I was supposed to get that raise. It really stinks for those who have work in only factories for all of their lives & those who take care of their family on one factory income. $11.89 truly isn't that much w/ increasing costs. I hope something changes w/ our new president.
blondie61938 3 years ago
Sorry to put you on the spot. But if that's true that means that they will stay at the low wage.
blondie61938 3 years ago
Great job on the video debbi.
cookash14 3 years ago
Thank you, it's much appreciated.
blondie61938 3 years ago
Mattoon just keeps on going down hill every year . Most of all the bussiness here just wan tto pay min wage and that dont cut it and also most of the factorys use temps so they dont have to hire anyone and the temp companys pay next to nothing . rent is also going through the roof . we need people in city office who cares about the people of mattoon and help bring good paying jobs back .
gerdes75 3 years ago
Yes that is very true. A lot of the factories hire temporary & just before the person is suppose to go full time they say they don't need the temps anymore. Yet you will notice the same temp service hiring for the job you just got taken off of like a week later. It isn't right to mess with people's minds like that, making them think... "finally I have a great job & can provide for myself/my family."
blondie61938 3 years ago
Well even if there were more jobs, there still are ppl that cant work and no one wants to help them anymore. I'm 13 and live with my mom and brother with absolutly no income except a monthly check for living in our apartments for $104 and thats all. The public aid that we recieve is also now doing no good when it comes to medical bills because of doctors not taking medical card anymore. Either way poverty will happen and we brought it on ourselves.
VampireLuver4ever 3 years ago
The "true" agenda of this film was to show that poverty is absolutely everywhere. That my hometown needs some loving care. But MOST importantly, that people living in poverty DO try to get out of their situation for the most part. That the bulk of those living in poverty work hard but still can't make it. Also, I wanted to show that all people in poverty are not uneducated and lazy, which a lot of people I have found to believe.
blondie61938 3 years ago
Hey Debbi, That was an exelent film!! Kudos!! I can aprecieate your involvement, and your ability to shine the light on the problems in coles county!
Christina
Christina21680 3 years ago
Thank you. Poverty is a huge concern to me, while I'm currently pulling myself out of poverty... the issue is very important to me. I figure if we can conquer poverty in small communities, we can work our way to larger communities, even countries. I imagine if there is a solution, it can be amended for any community.
blondie61938 3 years ago
Hey Deb. Good work on this. I've been away for a long time, and though I could have guessed, I didn't know the situation was as bad as this. Good for you for putting the word out.
Speaking to the production value, it's a great way to show my French and British friends what my hometown looks like, so I thank you for that. Hopefully things can improve soon so the next one I show to them can celebrate the town's recovery and prosperity.
Coff1Up 3 years ago
Yeah, it's pretty bad & it bothers me terribly. Driving by the food bank was absolute torture. The first time I drove by there were about 5 people but my camera was off, so I drove by again in 5 minutes or less. By that time there was a lot more people, and I'm sure they were different people. I do hope something happens soon, I'm terribly worried about the state of the town.
blondie61938 3 years ago
I grew up in mattoon but live and work in charleston now. Great video. What are some other subjects you would like explore in future videos? Keep up the good work.
tubeuseryou101 3 years ago
I would love to do more on the working class, homeless in a small town, single parents, Mattoon families & how they differ... Lots of ideas.
blondie61938 3 years ago
Thanks it has not been easy. Yeah maybe I will do some independent study & target that idea, I did want to put more about the fact most ppl live here because of the schools & low crime rate. I just feel sad that the town I grew up in needs so much help. I hope something will be done once we get a new president.
blondie61938 3 years ago
I do not think a change of administration would help mattoons economy unless Futuregen gets the greenlight because of the change. Otherwise the trickle down effect would be imperceptible. I think what you are doing would have a greater and more positive impact. Showing Mattoons good schools and other good points might bring more people to town. They would buy available houses and rehab others, spurring the local economy in the process. Again, great work.
tubeuseryou101 3 years ago
I do think we need Futuregen to fix this. I also think there should be more programs to help people fix their houses. I would have liked to show a lot more, but this was only a 10 minute film for a class. I couldn't cover absolutely everything of course, but I would like to do more in the future. I would love to do more on poverty in disguise. People living in nice houses & have nice cars but are on the verge of bankruptcy. No one wants to admit they are in poverty.
blondie61938 3 years ago