As the owner of a professional writing service, I am occasionally contacted by individuals who need to compose letters for various reasons. Last week I received one of these calls.
The woman who contacted me was denied unemployment benefits and is trying desperately not to turn into one of the casualties of a flailing state economy. From what she told me on the phone, she held a full-time position with a retail chain, and when her hours were cut below a 40 hour work week, sought a part-time job to supplement her income. It seems the woman was attempting to work her part-time hours around her full-time schedule. As time went on, her boss for the part-time stint let her go, explaining that they couldn’t work around her full-time schedule any longer. Shortly after, the woman lost her full-time position as well. Needless to say, she was devastated. Like Millions of others around our country, she headed to the unemployment line.
The reason she contacted me, she said, is that she was denied benefits because of a $326 dispute on the end of the part-time employer. Upon her initial denial, the woman appealed, and a second judgment was eventually reached: Denied! Without knowing this woman personally, I can’t vouch for her on a personal level, but the simple fact that she was holding two jobs simultaneously to make ends meet gives me a good insight as to her work ethic. And although I am unable to reverse the judgment and help her financially, I can help her articulate her feelings and tell her story.
The woman, after completion of the letter, is planning to send it to a host of Michigan newspapers, news stations, and her state government officials. Although I’m sure she doesn’t expect that the letter will reverse her unemployment decision, the woman feels strongly about letting taxpayers and others know that honest, hardworking people are being denied benefits, thus adding them to the group of citizens who can’t afford their homes, default on credit cards, and can’t put food on the table.
As someone who possesses the gift of words and creating power from words, it moves me deeply to be able to give this woman a platform, to allow her voice to be heard. THIS is why I left Corporate America! The work I do through my business, Write Creations, matters. That’s right, it MATTERS. The best part, as a business owner with virtually no overhead, is that I can provide support for this woman free of charge. Today, I will listen as she recounts her painful experience, her disillusionment with the system, and through the power of the pen, help her work towards closure.
This woman is why I do what I do.
~tbk
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