Goldia McCall

For SSI Ohio client Ruth Giambrone, disability benefits provide her and her husband with much needed income to cover the payments on their small rental house. Ruth and her husband, formerly a self-employed roofer, lost everything when he could no longer work full-time.

"We were living in the woods [for several years].

We stayed in Youngstown by the soup kitchen," Ruth explained.  

During this time, the couple occasionally moved into rental houses for brief stays. "We would stay in them while doing repairs, but we always had to move out when they wanted to rent it out."   Fortunately, a house left empty after the passing of a local resident's father was offered to Ruth and her husband.

The Giambrones consulted the director of Catholic Charities, the city's SSI Ohio site, and received some help from the agency with the initial rent payments. Ruth also began working with SSI Ohio Specialist Goldia McCall to apply for Social Security benefits for the first time. "All of the Catholic Charity people were great. I don't know what I'd do without them," she says. Ruth, who lives with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck was approved for benefits within 4 months. Social Security benefits have helped the couple become more self-sufficient.

"Now with SSI we can take over the rent and pay more," says Giambrone. However, Ruth is still "waiting on Medicaid" coverage. She and her husband are also thankful for food assistance, and are looking for programs to assist with utility bills.

Beating Incredible Odds
The SSI Ohio Project helps disabled individuals who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless obtain Social Security benefits. While these individuals gain access to income, housing, and health care through the application process, they are not the only ones who benefit from the work of the Project. For *Marcus Allen, the stability he has gained from receiving benefits allows him to spend quality time and bond with his little daughter.

Marcus has attempted to work and support himself many times during his life. He lives with schizophrenia and paranoia, which hinders his ability to work with others and hold a steady job. Marcus is aware of the challenges he faces and says, "I always wanted to be on Social Security because of my mental state, just in case something happened at the job and I ended up losing the job."  When Marcus did lose employment, he had no where to turn other than the streets. For many individuals who are homeless and disabled, applying for disability benefits can be challenging due to the lengthy and detailed application. Marcus attempted to apply before, but did not finish.

When Marcus first met with Twanette Pinkerton, the SSI Ohio Specialist who helped him apply, he told her that, "I didn't think this was going to happen for me." Despite his doubts, Marcus says that, "I went ahead with the paperwork." Two months later, he was approved. After living on the streets and in shelters, Marcus was able to move into his own apartment with the income from SSI benefits. Now that he is in a safe, stable environment, his little girl can spend more time with her father. "My daughter visited for the past two weekends. I gave her some [candy], a couple dollars, and a birthday card."