BusynMember
Well-Known Member
There is nothing really THAT bad, just discouraging and irritating.
The good news though made me cry when I got it. Sonic has a real, community job now. Because he is such a good worker at ODC, which is the sheltered workshop he is at, they did what they almost never do...he was offered an actual job as one of the staff!!! This is a huge deal because there are the clients and the employees. He is now an employee!!! I don't know much about the job yet because his worker has to call me with more info to see if I agree with it (I am his legal guardian), but why would I not agree with it??? He gets a real paycheck, holiday pay, maybe even benefits, but not sure. I don't think he will be full time. The little I know is that he will be working in the kitchen, doing inventory, getting lunch ready, doing the cash register (it is NOT slow there nor is it easy) and if there is more I haven't found out yet. He told me he will get paid more than minimum wage, which made his face light up. I can't think of anything better that could happen to Lucas. He loves ODC, the people, the staff, the environment...and he is a hard worker and not a troublemaker like some of the clients. I am very proud.
Now the bad news.
We are going to be down about $1000 a month when Lucas turns twenty-one. His adoption subsidy stops. Lucas wants to move out and be independent now and he is ready to live on his own, but he will need some assistance so he needs certain types of apartments where somebody keeps a semi-eye on the residents. They are ALL full right now. Nobody expected that. Especially us. Husband and I were looking very forward to downsizing to a cozy apartment with our dogs and Jumper when she was in from college. In our fantasy, the apartment paid all the utilities and we had more disposable income for travel and other fun things. But that can't happen now. We need a three bedroom place so that Lucas can live with us until an apartment opens up and it could take a year. The one he wants is awesome...it's for developmentally disabled adults, but most of the residents are quite able, really, and it's clean and cozy and in a great part of town so Lucas can ride his bike anywhere. A housemother is in the office all day, which Mom likes!!!! So now...instead of downsizing...we really don't gain anything by leaving this rental home.
Our landlord loves us because we always pay our rent on time (boy, most renters must be jerks). He doesn't want to lose us, but has no other places that are closer to town right now so he lowered our rent $50, which was helpful and told us to stay here...when another place came up, he'd tell us. So here we stay. Sonic will be paying $250 in rent to teach him about rent, which he will have to pay when he movs out, although it will be based on his income. It probably won't be as low as $250 because his SS payments count as income. The $250 is almost a must for us to be able to continue living in this home, which has high utility bills. He also needs to unplug all of his systems when he goes to work (I will check each day) and can only have one plugged in at a time. This is for us too, but also to teach him how to keep his electric bill reasonable once he moves out. He has been very spoiled in our home and now we feel we can use this extra time to show him the best way to keep the most he can of his money.
I was really hoping to get into that smaller place. My disabilities, which I started to actually explain in a thread, make it so hard to do simple things that after my easy peasy job, I am mentally exhausted and would love to come home to a small, clean place rather than a big house with extra bills to worry about. But it is what it is. Sonic needs a room and Jumper will need one when she visits from college.
So that's my good news and bad news. It's mostly a vent so if nobody answers, I understand
The good news though made me cry when I got it. Sonic has a real, community job now. Because he is such a good worker at ODC, which is the sheltered workshop he is at, they did what they almost never do...he was offered an actual job as one of the staff!!! This is a huge deal because there are the clients and the employees. He is now an employee!!! I don't know much about the job yet because his worker has to call me with more info to see if I agree with it (I am his legal guardian), but why would I not agree with it??? He gets a real paycheck, holiday pay, maybe even benefits, but not sure. I don't think he will be full time. The little I know is that he will be working in the kitchen, doing inventory, getting lunch ready, doing the cash register (it is NOT slow there nor is it easy) and if there is more I haven't found out yet. He told me he will get paid more than minimum wage, which made his face light up. I can't think of anything better that could happen to Lucas. He loves ODC, the people, the staff, the environment...and he is a hard worker and not a troublemaker like some of the clients. I am very proud.
Now the bad news.
We are going to be down about $1000 a month when Lucas turns twenty-one. His adoption subsidy stops. Lucas wants to move out and be independent now and he is ready to live on his own, but he will need some assistance so he needs certain types of apartments where somebody keeps a semi-eye on the residents. They are ALL full right now. Nobody expected that. Especially us. Husband and I were looking very forward to downsizing to a cozy apartment with our dogs and Jumper when she was in from college. In our fantasy, the apartment paid all the utilities and we had more disposable income for travel and other fun things. But that can't happen now. We need a three bedroom place so that Lucas can live with us until an apartment opens up and it could take a year. The one he wants is awesome...it's for developmentally disabled adults, but most of the residents are quite able, really, and it's clean and cozy and in a great part of town so Lucas can ride his bike anywhere. A housemother is in the office all day, which Mom likes!!!! So now...instead of downsizing...we really don't gain anything by leaving this rental home.
Our landlord loves us because we always pay our rent on time (boy, most renters must be jerks). He doesn't want to lose us, but has no other places that are closer to town right now so he lowered our rent $50, which was helpful and told us to stay here...when another place came up, he'd tell us. So here we stay. Sonic will be paying $250 in rent to teach him about rent, which he will have to pay when he movs out, although it will be based on his income. It probably won't be as low as $250 because his SS payments count as income. The $250 is almost a must for us to be able to continue living in this home, which has high utility bills. He also needs to unplug all of his systems when he goes to work (I will check each day) and can only have one plugged in at a time. This is for us too, but also to teach him how to keep his electric bill reasonable once he moves out. He has been very spoiled in our home and now we feel we can use this extra time to show him the best way to keep the most he can of his money.
I was really hoping to get into that smaller place. My disabilities, which I started to actually explain in a thread, make it so hard to do simple things that after my easy peasy job, I am mentally exhausted and would love to come home to a small, clean place rather than a big house with extra bills to worry about. But it is what it is. Sonic needs a room and Jumper will need one when she visits from college.
So that's my good news and bad news. It's mostly a vent so if nobody answers, I understand
