Economy takes toll as residents struggle to survive

Whether standing in the lines of Nevada JobConnect, sitting with a case manager at a nonprofit providing assistance or leaning on church members and family, people have done whatever they can to survive the recession.

The economy has been rough for many in the Las Vegas Valley.

According to a study done by Three Square food bank, Nevada's overall poverty rate ranks 38th in the United States.

In the four counties in Southern Nevada, 16 percent of the population is food-
insecure, meaning about 300,000 don't get enough to eat.

The studied showed that as of 2009, more than 74,000 Clark County households are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, known as food stamps.

But behind every benefit or program and the person receiving them is the story of an individual trying to endure a hard economy.

'I never thought this could happen'

The computer at Nevada JobConnect, 119 S. Water St., has been Richard Tuohy's friend and enemy for a year and a half.

One day it shows Tuohy numerous jobs to apply for only to reveal to him the next day that the positions have been filled.

"Searching for a job is a full-time job," Tuohy said.

Tuohy worked in Nashville, Tenn., for a family-operated construction company. He specialized in building and repairing garages.

"Every week I knew I was going to get paid," Tuohy said. "Whether it was for two days or a full week's worth of work, I knew I would get paid. I never thought this could happen."

That abruptly ended at the beginning of 2010 when Tuohy was laid off because the company was going through economic hardship.

Because he had been paid in cash for 17 years, Tuohy wasn't able to apply for unemployment.

Tuohy reconnected with his daughter, who lived in Henderson, and decided to move.

"Her boyfriend said he had a job painting," Tuohy said.

But close to two weeks after Tuohy was able to pull the money together and move to Henderson, the job was filled.

By living with his daughter and grandchildren, Tuohy has at least remained off the streets while he looks for work.

Tuohy survives by receiving food stamps.

"You have to go in and apply every six months," Tuohy said.

So far, Tuohy has had to apply three times but always fears that he could be denied, in which case he wouldn't know what he would do.

Finding work has been impossible.

"I've gone to JobConnect and applied with temp services," Tuohy said. "You get up at 5 a.m. to try to get a temp job. The good news is there could be eight jobs. The bad news is you have 400 people applying for one of those jobs."

Tuohy hopes his latest application for a job at Station Casinos ends the year-and-a-half search.

But every day, he returns to JobConnect to see if his email will bring him good news.

While he waits, Tuohy tries to make himself useful by cleaning the house and picking up his grandchildren.

'I'm doing ok now'

The reason Craig, a HopeLink case manager who did not want to use his last name, might be able to empathize so well with the people sitting across from his desk is because it was only a few months ago that he was in their shoes.

Craig, a single father of two, had been struggling for two years until he landed a job as a case manager at HopeLink.

Craig's wife died in April after suffering from kidney failure.

"Ten months out of the year she was probably in the hospital," Craig said. "I had to take family medical leave from work because I couldn't afford day care."

Since their family is scattered and mostly overseas, Craig had no choice but to take the unpaid leave.

In 2009, neighbors called Child Protective Services , fearing the toddlers weren't being looked after . When CPS arrived, it found out Craig was on medical leave caring for the family and pointed the family to HopeLink for help.

"HopeLink provided a scholarship that allowed me to find day care," Craig said .

Craig was able to return to his job at a power sports store. But the scholarship ran out around the time he had a stroke at the beginning of 2010, causing Craig to take more time off.

When his 360 hours of medical leave were used, Craig was laid off.

"They left me in good standing so I was able to get unemployment," Craig said.

Even though he had money from unemployment, it wasn't enough to pay all the bills.

Craig again returned to HopeLink.

"They were able to bridge the gaps of what I couldn't pay," Craig said.

Craig said HopeLink even provided items for holidays such as Halloween and Christmas.

"At Christmas they showed up with a tree and more presents than my children have seen," Craig said. "They made my wife's last Christmas very special."

Craig's wife died in April. In May, he lost his unemployment benefits.

"I had to turn down a job," Craig said. "The job required I work Sundays, and I can't do that because of my faith."

In June, Craig entered the welfare system, collecting food stamps and $383 a month.

"Because of the food stamps, food wasn't a problem," Craig said. "But what can you do with $383 a month? That doesn't pay for everything."

Items such as car registration and insurance became delinquent as Craig scrambled for money.

For three months, Craig submitted about 20 job applications a week with no results. He began volunteering with HopeLink. In August, HopeLink asked for Craig's resume and interviewed him as a case manager.

"They hired me in August," Craig said, "e xactly two years after I entered HopeLink (as someone in need)."

The day before his first paycheck, Craig was pulled over by police and cited for not having his car registered.

After paying the fine, for the first time with his own money, Craig is getting back on his feet.

"I'm not wearing Armani," Craig said. "But I'm doing OK now."

'It is a job'

Apryl Rustigan , sitting inside Nevada JobConnect in Henderson, hopes she is just $60 away from closing the chapter to a rough year.

"I am trying to get a health card, but I don't have the money to pay for it," Rustigan said.

After a yearlong job search, Rustigan finally landed a job helping her sister cater weddings.

"It isn't really my thing," Rustigan said. "But it is a job."

Rustigan had worked doing dispatch for a towing company for a little more than a year when the company laid her off Dec. 23, 2010.

"I was like, 'Are you kidding? Before Christmas?' " Rustigan said. "So much for the holidays. It was really depressing."

Rustigan unsuccessfully filed for unemployment benefits. The agency told her that she made too little money at her last job to qualify.

Rustigan had to move in with her mom in Boulder City to survive.

"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have her," Rustigan said.

Rustigan was confident she could find a job and bounce back in no time. But searches came up fruitless.

Scouring the Internet, Rustigan responded to Craigslist ads and emailed countless resumes each month on top of filing endless applications.

"Most of the ads on Craigslist are fake, as it turns out," Rustigan said.

Finally, the job working with her sister opened.

When Rustigan starts her new job, she plans to open a savings account and set aside at least a little money.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.