This is my story. I am not alone.
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When you see anyone suffering, do not tell them to call one of the myriad of government agencies. Not if you can help them.
These agencies are not only overburdened and understaffed, but they also refuse to see their incompetence.
I gave up going this route after almost a year of neglect, which includes a large local agency that completely dropped the ball on me numerous times.
Community Services Consortium
Right here in my area. This is my story.
I began by contacting them mid-Spring of last year (2025), inquiring as to what services they could provide me.
I shared my situation and what my goals were. This was a difficult call for me to make. I felt vulnerable, and it took a lot for me to share such personal information.
I went through FOUR employees who each dropped the ball on me (as in forgot about me – which included one who said “I really want to help you and I will come to you if I have to” – never heard back from him either). After weeks of this, I had to contact the Supervisor who put me in touch with a new person.
This person was not able to help me (although she was good at communication).
So back to the Supervisor I returned, who put me back in touch with the ORIGINAL person I spoke with, who never got back to me, even after a phone call conversation stating she was going to help me.
This was around late May/early June of last year.
After some more “dropped ball” moments, we finally connected via live remote meeting in July and discussed the scholarship I had been told about. I was to finalize the program and place of study, then get back to her.
Which I did.
We had another virtual meeting where she went over the scholarship process.
She told me there was still time to submit (the process opened up in June) and while she wouldn’t guarantee me the award as it was first come first time (meaning TIMELY SUBMISSION), she saw no reason I wouldn’t be approved, barring me making a mistake (which is why she was working with me to avoid any mistakes as she sat on the frigging board that approved scholarships so she knew her stuff).
After that meeting?
She disappeared on me.
I mean no contact. AGAIN.
No return calls.
No return emails or texts.
Even contacts with her Supervisor went unanswered.
I was also unable to submit my application because she was supposed to send me additional paperwork, which she never did.
I lost almost FOUR WEEKS in a process that is timely and competitive because of their failure to communicate.
After a month, I heard back from her.
Sorry – family emergency – can’t help you anymore, so I will pass you off to this person.
UGH!!! Why wasn’t I told sooner? No answer for that very basic question.
So I got assigned a new person, made an appt to finish up the application process, which we did, and on October frigging 5th, it was FINALLY submitted.
After I began the process in EARLY AUGUST (and had tried since April TO get help to begin with).
I got denied.
NO ONE TOLD ME.
I had to make several contacts to the last person who helped me, who told me the funds had already run out.
Which means I DID NOT GET MY APPLICATION IN ON TIME.
Again, which was NOT MY DAMN FAULT.
So I wrote the Agency Manager.
Documented everything. Emails. Dates.
I clearly showed there was a gross lack of communication on their part which denied me the right to submit my application in the necessary timely manner.
The end result?
The agency says they did not do a thing wrong and “followed proper protocols”.
Apparently, PROPER PROTOCOLS includes failure to communicate. Failure to NOTIFY clients that their person is no longer able to help and FAIL to provide a new person in a timely manner.
And now?
Now they have the f’ing audacity to tell me they are there for me.
So I asked: If this is true – WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN ASSIGNED A NEW STEP MANAGER after the LAST ONE quit back in October, again NO ONE TOLD ME OF THIS, and I wasted SIX f’ing WEEKS trying to connect with this person.
But nope.
She quit.
No one told me.
And no one has yet to apologize for this, OR assign me a new case manager, OR know if one will even be assigned TO me.
But they are “there” for me.
Like hell they are.
So let this serve as just one story in what I have been seeing are MANY (including a friend of mine who received the same type of treatment): THESE AGENCIES that receive GOVERNMENT FUNDING are just an extension of the government itself.
INCOMPETENT.
UNCARING.
THIEVES BOUND UP IN RED TAPE.
And the program they operate under?
Narcissistic (as in refusal to own behavior).
People in need are in need of real people’s support.
AGENCIES ARE NOT THE ANSWER.
Capiche? For now, I am right back where I started from last year – trying to get funding to increase my education so I can change my life for the better. Heal. Move on. BASIC HUMAN NEEDS. Talk about a slap in the face. After being told to “call this agency, go here” – essentially being put off by real people either unable or unwilling to help me out – my faith in humanity is pretty damn low at this time.
