evaelisabeth | Eric (Reply)

Eric is in his early forties, he works hard when he can get a job, keeps clean and sober. He always has a slightly panicked frightened look in his eyes like he can't believe he's on the street reduced to begging for his food. He went to the welfare office today where they gave him a flyer at the door, it said they would pay him €30 a week and give him access to some job training. It was a cruel sort of thing to do because when he got to the end of the line they said he couldn't apply because he had to have been on the dole for 6 months to qualify. Of course that's what he was there for to apply for unemployment assistance. When he got to the end of that cue the man told him that he needed lots of paperwork from the UK (Eric is from England) without which he could do nothing for him. All Eric wants to claim is €190 per week which would get him off the street and living in a youth hostel (€120). The rest he could eat off while he looks for work full time, remember a McDonald's Meal costs about €7 here. He's at the end of his tether because he has to spend so much time begging for the money to pay for a roof over his head ever day. All he needs is a little hand up so he can get back on his feet, except they keep kicking those out from under him.

If you meet an Eric today, just spend a little time, give him a buck or buy him a sandwich and talk to him like he's a human being, he deserves it.