Niya had been out of work for a year and a half, due to a wrist injury. She had received worker’s compensation for a few months until it was determined that there would be no further improvement to her wrist function. Since she’d been designated permanently disabled, Niya no longer qualified for worker’s comp and had to apply for SS Disability. Her original claim and appeal have since been denied.
Since that time, Niya has started working with Vocational Rehabilitation to be trained for a job in another field that she will be able to manage with her injured wrist. Niya has a daughter who is away at University and a son and grandson that still live with her. Her daughter, Brooklyn, does work part time when she’s home for long breaks and is doing a work study on campus that gives her a small weekly pay check that she is able to use for her expenses while she is away at school. Niya does have court ordered child support awarded to her for her son, Austin. His father hasn’t been making payments, but the court has just met and decided to start garnishing the father’s wages so she should have steady payments coming in soon. The parents of her grandson, Mark, have been buying things for Mark and giving them to Niya as they are needed but they don’t help out monetarily.
Niya receives a small monthly utility reimbursement check but it’s never enough to cover the full portion of her electric bill. She has had to go to other agencies and churches to help her since she has been out of work. She’s hoping that with the child support starting up soon and getting a job soon with the help of Vocational Rehabilitation, she will be able to get back on her feet. In the past few months, she has also been a frequent participant in our RENEW program, attending our Money Matters Class, Meditation Work Shop and Walking Group. Niya has already paid part of her electric bill with her utility check but needed help with the remaining balance. Greer Relief was able to pay the remaining balance to Duke Energy and prevent disconnection of her power.