How Abuse Shelters Teach Women to Game the System

Renew America ^ | August 25, 2008 | Carey Roberts

[WVNan]

Sorry to be long in responding, but thank you for the extra tip on how long the con artist stays. Several years ago a woman pulled the “I need money for gas” routine on me in another one of my churches. I figured her for a scammer, but she made the mistake of coming into the church at the beginning of worship. I told her we might be able to help her, but she would have to stay until after the sermon. LOL. Poor dear had to suffer through the sermon, but I figured she needed it. We took up a small collection to reward her for staying for worship. I bet after that she always waited until the end of services to make the hit. Or, hopefully, she heard something that might have changed her life. I can dream.

[jwparkerjr]

Great story! She was probably not a scam artist, but really did need the help. And like you say, nothing she heard that day could do her any harm!

I don't mind giving gas or food money to anyone who needs it and doesn't get it that every time they need it. Goodness knows, I've been there. My wife was 15 and I was 19 when we got married. The night our second child was born, she was 17 by then, I didn't know if I had enough gas to get her to the hospital or not. Turned out I did but I had to borrow $3 from another new father in the waiting room to get home and back to pick her up the next afternoon. I had lost my job at the shipyard and had started just that day at a funeral home. That was 1964. We are still together after 46 years so I guess it's a good thing I swallowed my pride and ask the man for gas money!

We lost a lot in this country when we made it easy to get welfare and took away the stigma that went with being on welfare. It's so bad now they don't even give them food stamps any more. It was too stigmatizing for them when they had to use them to pay for their food. Now they get a debit card and it's filled up every month.

I loved it when Obama said he was in favor of faith-based programs to help the needy, but then quickly added that, of course, they would have to leave the faith part out if they expected government help! The true scam artist wants nothing to do with the strings that go along with any help they get, just the money, thank you.