PASS!
 

Yesterday morning at 4 AM I walked down to the post office to mail off my application for the PASS program. One thing about living in a small town is that I can wander around by myself at all hours without fear. The streets were completely deserted with only the occasional streetlamp to show the way. Even Highway 160 which doubles as Main Street was devoid of travelers. The words to that song from Cats, "Memory" came to my mind:

Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin...

For the past three days I had been trying to finish that paperwork, staying up until dawn, falling into bed for a few hours sleep and then waking up to continue my marathon. The form was a lucky 13 pages long, and when I finished it, I read the directions. Whoops! 3 more pages to go. I grimly sat back down at the computer and soldiered on, finishing up those last three pages and writing a cover letter as my final embellishment.

PASS stands for Plan to Achieve Self Support. It's a program to help people on SSI/SSDI get off disability. Since it's a federal program, it's as complicated as hell and the paperwork is enough to make strong men feel faint. The short explanation is that it's a fund matching savings program that the participent can use to pay for college or vocational school, starting up their own business, or pay for a job coach, etc. Your PASS plan has to be for something that you have a good chance of accomplishing, and the paperwork is the government's way of ensuring that you are a viable candidate for a PASS. If for some reason you don't succeed, you have to pay back the money the government has invested in you to that point, so your plan better be pretty damn good to avoid defaulting.

My plan is to become a campground host, working for one of the private outfits that the national parks are commissioning to take over visitor services. It's not a complicated job - much simpler than working at the Bates was. You collect the envelopes with the fees in them; make a little tour first thing in the morning matching license plates and envelopes to make sure everyone has paid; enforce rules like pets must be on a leash, no noise after 10 PM, no feeding your poodle to a cougar, etc. You also have to keep the campground tidy and clean the restrooms which is the ickiest part of the job. The other stuff is a piece of cake.

The pay is around $10.00/hr plus free hook-ups for your RV. In effect, you have free housing, and a reasonable supplement to any other income like social security (assuming there still is social security). In the summer you can go work up in some place like Montana and in the winter you can go bask under the saguaros in Arizona. It's also a great way of providing a needed service while maintaining your dignity as a self supporting adult. With all due modesty, I can't think of a better person for the job than me - the camping and back country fool.

The catch to this is that campground hosts have to have their own RV. As it now stands, I'll never be able to afford an RV in a million years, but a PASS would allow me to make that dream a reality. I figure I need to come up with $700.00/month which the government would then match, allowing me to put $1400/month into a special savings account. By my calculations within 2 years - 3 at the max - I'd have enough to buy a second hand camping trailor that could serve as my year round home, along with a used V8, 4wd to haul it. I'd be set for the rest of my life.

I feel like I just came through the finals week from hell back at college, but if they approve my plan it will have been well worth the effort. Now all I have to do is find some simple minded little job that I can do and which will pay at least $500.00 to $800.00 a month. Stupid recession! Stupid little middle of nowhere town! But I'm determined to make this work. I'll find a job somehow. And I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that I'll be approved to at least give it a shot.

Wishing you all the very best, Sam!


Sent by thought transference

Good luck hon:)

I think that sounds WONDERFUL, Sam. Best of luck to you! :)

Best of luck! I hope you get it. :)

I believe your affection/affliction for back woods living is genuine,
and if you can find a way to do it year round, it would be great for you.

I hope things go right for you.
But you do first have to promise us pics, pics, and more pics...

Lamplighter, for shame!

:D

Good luck with it all Sam. Right now, living in a caravan (trailer) with no one but myself for company unless I step outside sounds like heaven. lol

Sam it is a great life!! At one point in my life, I was a Park Ranger and it was some of the most peaceful/enjoyable times of my life. Used campers are pretty cheap and an older F-250 makes a great truck pull it. Have you thought about one of the used FEMA trailers? They have been selling them pretty cheap ($3 - 5,000) and many of them were never used. They just sat in storage areas for years

Good Luck, Sam. I love the plan and believe it will work.

Oh I can soooo see you as a park ranger!

Good luck, Sam. You deserve it. :)

that sounds perfect! best of luck!

Good for you Sam! Good luck with this...:thumb:

Good wishes and positive vibes being sent your way! :)

Wow Sam! I'm so proud of you for finishing that paperwork, I don't think I could ever do it. You deserve the help and I hope you get it.

Sam - The Army Corps of Engineers has a large campground manager program. Most of the jobs are non-competitive and are filled at the district level since they are considered seasonal. I would be trying to find one myself,but it is too late in the season in my area.

Um, how are you going to save $700 a month and support yourself, for two or three years, on $500 to $800 a month? :confused:

I am not sure where to begin here on this site. Am I not allowed an avatar; nor to post a thread?? It keeps saying I 'do not have access.' Also, there is not 'Introduction forum.' So I have not a clue as to how one begins to join the community???

Can someone inform me??

Thanks,
Molly

Well, fuck-a-doodle-doo ...

Are you referring to me?? I just arrived here; and could use some navagational help. Where is every1??

molly

It's a message board, not a chat room. You'll rarely get an immediate reply.

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone! (and even "starring Molly" - I'm impressed :rolleyes:). And Sarge, those are some great suggestions! I'll definately check into them.

Right after I posted this thread, I got word that Colorado Voc Rehab wanted to give me some temp work, so naturally I jumped at the chance and haven't had the time to visit the Cellar until now when I am once again ungainfully unemployed. However, I just got a letter stating that they want to hire me back for another chunk of time - probably in October. It's a great gig, but alas, there's no funding to make it a permanent position. Still, I'm happy for whatever crumbs they want to throw my way.

You don't want to know, Bruce. It ain't pretty. But since you asked...
The amount I get from disability is so small that I am officially way below the poverty line. Which qualifies me for rental and food assistance. My medical is also mostly covered. My wardrobe is thrift shop chic. Wyn dines on Walmart's finest kibble - "Old Yellow." Say, didn't the Old Yellow in the book die of rabies or something? Never mind. The Internet is my only extravagance. Well, and gas for my truck. Lucky for me, the mountains are only about 30 miles away, and my old Toyota still manages to get 20 miles to the gallon. And if I end up on foot toward the end of the month, no big deal. I can walk to most anywhere in this small town and I have kind friends who give me the occasional ride when I need it.

I suppose I could live this way indefinately, but I HATE, HATE, HATE not being self sufficient. It takes away your dignity and sense of self worth so easily if you let it. I still haven't heard back from the Feds on my PASS, but me and my friend Jim (also disabled) have come up with a great Plan B and if I have to stay up all night for a month and fill out a thousand page application, I'll do it. And if they don't like that, I'll come up with a Plan C, etc. Eventually, the PASS co-ordinator up in Denver will become so tired of reading my new and ever more amazing applications that she'll give in and approve one of them. How will I do it? In one word - becaused I'm cussed.

And when I get my campground host job, all Cellar folk can come stay for free in some of the most beautiful places on earth. It'll be all on me, so everyone start getting your camping gear together now! :elkgrin:

Sam, I am glad you've had some work (which sounds like it's good experience for your future applications if you have to do them).
I keep thinking about this plan of yours and really hope it works out for you!