"I got sanctioned, now I'm being kicked out. That's what W-2 did for me."

Mary Mayo

When we met Mary Mayo she was on the verge of eviction. We followed her story throughout the documentary production.

Mary Mayo:
I had one of those W-2 jobs at a bakery. Fourth of July they told me they had to let me go because I was too slow and I couldn't get the icing on the cake right because I didn't have no experience in doing that.

Then, I had another one that lasted two or three days. The same thing. I was too slow.

After that, I got sanctioned for three months. So, now I'm being kicked out, that's what W-2 did for me.

Narrator:
Mary Mayo lived across the street from the Urban League Center. Her landlord has put her on the police evictions ist. At some point in the next ten business days, Mary and her six kids will be out on the street.

Mary Mayo:
I would like to help people. I like, you know, being around people. If I could get a job in a hospital, sometimes you've got to know somebody to get into a hospital, to get into a job like that.

I would rather have a job than be sitting at home, you know, doing nothing.

I really don't watch soap operas. I watch one, that's "All my Children." But the rest of 'em, I've got too many problems myself to be watching they silly problems, you know. I know their's ain't nothing but make believe. Mine is real.

Narrator:
Mary met Louise Jackson at church and they became friends.

Louise Jackson:
There's so many people that this W-2 thing has really messed up. I think in her case, she don't even have a babysitter. It's sad. It's really sad. I just can't see how in the world this could happen.

Narrator:
Louise is already housing several other homeless people in her small, two-bedroom apartment, but may add Mary and her six kids if shelter space doesn't open up soon.

Mary Mayo:
Five adults in her house. So, if she wouldn't mind me staying here with five kids and myself makes six adults. You know, that's 12 people, you know.

Louise Jackson:
There's one shelter who would take her and three of her kids, that's the three younger ones or the two girls and the younger one. So, what would happen to the three boys?

Narrator:
The Milwaukee Police have a name for apartments where homeless families double and triple up. They're called "W-2 Stacks."

Louise is worried that if Mary and her kids move in, her landlord will evict them for illegal overcrowding.

Louise Jackson:
If I have to, I'll have them stay over there, until they kick us out.

Narrator:
Without W-2 checks coming in, Mary has been going to food pantries to supplement the $241 in food stamps she receives each month.

Mary Mayo:
$241 went real quickly with six kids. And boys, they like to eat, you know, my girls do, too. This is Joseph, Jacob, Jeremiah, Florita, Kiesha, and Joshua.

I was going to the churches mostly. They'll give you a little food, a little cereal and a couple little cans, something like that. I'm not the only one. I'm not alone. It's going to be a rough Christmas this year.

I'm being evicted so I'm getting my stuff out today. I'll be out by this afternoon, tonight sometime.

Narrator:
Mary Mayo made it through Christmas, but the ten-day waiting period is up. It's early January and an overnight blizzard has dumped two feet of snow on Milwaukee.

Mary and her kids still have no food and nowhere to go.

Mary Mayo:
I just don't know where I'm going to end up at right now.

(On the phone) Mr. Leroy, this is Mary Mayo. You know, I was down there trying to get a place while I'm being evicted. I still haven't found a place. Okay. Okay. All right, I will. Thank you.

So, he told me, that's a community advocate, to find shelter for people. He told me to call him back at 2:30. So, he's going to call around and see if he can find somewhere for me, you know, today.

(On phone) Yes, I'd like to know, I'm being evicted, and I wanted to know if you had any shelter.

So, I have to get back with them, she's away from her desk. That's what I always keep getting, "I'm away from my desk." Sometimes they don't call back.

(On phone again) Yes, may I speak to Leroy?

He's not going to answer now. I'm going to have to leave a message in his voice mail.

(On phone) Yes, this is Mary Mayo. You told me to call you back at 2:00 and you're not there. So, can you please give me a call. Thank you.

He told me to call him back at 2:00. Ugh! Call me back at 2:00. Get your guys' coats.

Narrator:
Mary is on a waiting list for subsidized low-income housing in Milwaukee's suburbs, so she can be closer to better jobs and schools.

Mary Mayo:
I signed up in June. I'm on the waiting list, so see, I'm number 361. They'll contact me in one to two years. That's pretty long.

(On phone again) Yes, is Leroy back? Okay. Bye.

Nope, he's not back. I can go to a motel, I have to pay $119 a week. I was thinking about it, taking all six kids into a motel in one room, I don't know how they'll feel about it. I know I would probably have to pay a little bit more money.

Narrator:
Garland Smith, Mary's landlord, came by mid-morning to see how soon the Mayos could be out.

Garland Smith:
I just want to see what's going to happen. Period. I've bent over backwards for you. Mary

Mary Mayo:
You know, just my W-2 check, Mr. Smith, I tried to tell you. But you know, it just got sanctioned.

Garland Smith:
All I can do is let you stay here. And I don't want to put you out on the street.

I come over here to ask her when she going to get out. They been in there four months and haven't paid the rent. I've let her stay another two months 'cause I didn't want to put the kids out on the street. She says W-2 won't send her her check.

I feel hurt. I feel hurt because I let them stay here for four months. I'm still paying my house note and you know, I got nothing to show for it.

Mary Mayo:
I told him I didn't have no way, you know, to get out. It's all snowy. Who's going to come and get me in the snow?

(On phone) Yes, is Leroy in? Okay, thank you.

He's out till 4:40.

Narrator:
Today is especially hard for Mary. It's the one-year anniversary of her oldest son's death.

Mary Mayo:
My oldest one got killed. A drive-by shooting. That was last year he got killed.

I try. You know, I try so hard, you know, like trying jobs. I hope one day, I might find something. I'll just keep looking.

Something will come up, one day.

Narrator:
Mary's family fled that night to a nearby motel and stayed for several days. Then, her friend Louise took them all to stay at her small apartment. Some time later, Mary was back into the W-2 system, working in a community-service job with Goodwill.

Goodwill's entry-level job requires W-2 workers to sort through used clothes hangers for a department store chain.

Woman:
Go through thousands and thousands of hangers in one day. And it's hangers!

Mary Mayo:
Go to the store, oh, man, there's some hangers, you know.

Woman:
It's crazy. But it motivates you to get a different job. It's a good way of getting you out of here.

Narrator:
After Mary gets through the clothes hanger job, she's promoted to the next assembly line. There, she learns how to assemble lawnmower tires for a local manufacturing firm.

Man:
Remember how I told you to hold it, right here? There you go. I'm in W-2. It's been kind of hard. Just getting out of prison and can't find no work. No one want to give you a decent paying job. You gotta keep a roof over your child's head, so you gotta do what it takes. You know, most people here, they never did this before in their life.

Woman:
No, I haven't.

Man:
Most people here are women. And they don't know nothing about no wrench or no ratchet or socket or a nut.

Woman:
I didn't even know what a nut was!

Man:
And now, when they go back out into the work world, in the work field, they'll be able to know, hey, what's that, oh, that's a ratchet in a deep-well socket.

Woman:
Mm-hmm, right.

Man:
They know that much. At least that'll get them into a job. You're getting better at that.

Mary Mayo:
Yeah, I am. I am getting better.

Man:
You're going to get a job in no time.

Mary Mayo:
It's been going okay. I like it, you know, going to class. That's the best part. Sometimes, I would be kind of sad, because not too long ago my son had got killed. So, the people in there talk to me and they were okay about it.

Narrator:
Mary and her kids have been living with her friend Louise for three months when the apartment across the hall became available. With an eviction notice, Mary was a rental risk. But Louise helped her get a lease and Mary is now on her way home to move in.

Mary Mayo:
I'm going home to my new apartment. (laughs) I finally got one. So, that's where I'm going, home. I can finally say that. I was homeless for a while. But now, I got a place. The weather's kind of nasty, but it's okay. It's a great day.

Narrator:
Mary Mayo finished her W-2 community service hours, then signed up for a short course to become a certified nursing assistant, or CNA. In June, she passed her finals. Today, she receives her diploma.

Woman:
Hi, I'd like to welcome our guests to the CNA training graduation class of June 18, 1999. You have a credential now. And you can go out into the world and do what?

Woman:
Get a job! Woman: You got it. (laughter)

Woman:
This particular class that graduated today was very special in that they came from all the different W-2 agencies in Milwaukee.

Woman:
(crying) Congratulations to everybody. (applause)

Woman:
We initially started with a nine-day program and enhanced it to 20 days to give more life skills, more bonding activities with people that are on W-2. Some of them don't have high school degrees or any credentials and this is the first credential that they have that shows that they've done something with their life.

Woman:
I never really accomplished anything. Every time I'm there for a week, I quit. And this is the first time I've really done something. I'm proud of myself. And I want to thank everybody. (applause)

Woman:
This lady has a heart of gold and this has been a goal of hers. And I'm really glad that you chose to be a CNA Mary, because I think you will be an excellent one. Mary Mayo. (applause)

Narrator:
Mary was chosen for a special award, student with the most positive attitude.

Woman:
They feel so good inside. Most graduations, everybody cries because the emotional aspect of them succeeding and feeling good about themselves, and I've gone somewhere, and I've done something with my life and I have a goal now.

Mary Mayo:
I didn't know I was going to get that. It was really a surprise. I was stunned, you know. Wow, me?! Little ol' me?

Narrator:
Mary applied for dozens of jobs, but says no one ever called her back. She hopes her new CNA diploma will change all that.

Mary Mayo:
I always wanted to be a nurse, so. Most of it was really easy, you know, except for the CPR, that was really tough. Hopefully, I'll have a job by the next time you see me. I'm going to keep a positive attitude.

Narrator:
Mary has already applied at two nursing homes and her family has settled in to their new apartment, across the hall from her friend Louise.

Louise Jackson:
They still haven't been able to get a stove or refrigerator.

Mary Mayo:
Oh, I usually put my food over in Louise's apartment. I buy groceries and put it all over there. And I cook over there.

Narrator:
Mary lost her stove and refrigerator during her eviction, when her belongings were put out on the curb.

Mary Mayo:
So, when I got back, it was gone.

Narrator:
It was only three months ago that Mary and her kids were homeless and slept across the hall on Louise's living room floor.

Louise Jackson:
Kids, some of ëem slept on the floor and all around, but this is basically where their sleeping area was. The rest of the 990 people lived in the bedrooms.

Mary Mayo:
Doing great. They all made honor roll and got to the next grade. Kiesha graduated from kindergarten to first grade. Joseph graduated to middle school.

Louise Jackson:
Their progress really excelled the last few months. We never close the door. The doors are never locked. One big house. People helping people, that's the only way we gonna make it. I mean, whoš what else can we do?

Narrator:
Within two weeks, Mary was hired by the Mt. Carmel Nursing Home in suburban Milwaukee. The starting pay for CNA's there is $8.00-$9.00 per hour, with health care benefits included.

Mary Mayo:
It's great. I like it here. I talk to the patients, listen to them. They're quite a gas. They're nice. I like them. The people who work here are okay. I'm doing great. Show them your Sunday smile Celia. Okay, Celia is showing her Sunday smile.

Sylvia:
There are smiles that make us happy...

Mary Mayo:
Sylvia's singin'.

Sylvia:
There are smiles that make us...

Mary Mayo:
I'll be back. Okay Sylvia? I'm going to get some more residents.

Woman:
Mary is a wonderful employee. Mary has enthusiasm. She is a very caring individual. And she displays her compassion and respect for our residents.

Mary Mayo:
Supper looks good.

Woman Resident:
That's enough for a whole family!

Mary Mayo:
Is it?

Woman Resident:
Yes it is, honey.

Woman:
The value of the nursing assistant is that they're the backbone of long-term care. And there is an extreme need right now for people to become nursing assistants. And for nursing assistants, it's good on a career ladder, because once they become a nurse's aide, they'll have more opportunities, possibly, to become a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse in the future. And in our organization, we give assistance so that can happen.

Mary Mayo:
...a big goal...L.P. and R.N. ... if I don't get too old. I'll be an old nurse, walking around with my cane.

Woman:
There's been a great influx of W-2. It's a delight to have that group of women here, though, because we value the service they can give us.

Narrator:
Mary's shift hours are 3:00 to 11:00 pm. She's grateful that Louise can feed and care for her kids since nighttime childcare is scarce. No bus lines run from the suburbs to her inner city neighborhood at night. So, again, it is Louise who drives across town with the kids in tow to bring Mary home at night.

Woman:
We're doing a transportation questionnaire right now to see if we would provide a van service.

Mary Mayo:
It is hard to get out here, but I really enjoy here.