By Cody Ellerd
Sandy didn’t want her real name used in this story.
“It’s not anything you’re proud of,” she said. Being poor on Mercer Island, that is.
Sandy’s family is one of about 100 that takes advantage of the direct financial assistance, food bank, preschool scholarships and some other programs offered through the Mercer Island Youth & Family Services.
She moved here with two of her children nearly five years ago to join her oldest daughter, who is 23, and her sister in the Seattle area. She had been living in Spokane, where she supported her family as a single mom by cleaning houses. Now she works doing billing at a medical clinic in Seattle.
Mercer Island may not seem like the obvious destination for a low-income family, but Sandy came here for the same reasons most people do.
“I felt safer here than any other part of the city. I knew there were good schools,” she said. “I knew it would be tough paying bills, but it would be worth it to know my kids are safe.”
Sharon Broz, who coordinates the family assistance and support program for Mercer Island Youth & Family Services, says that for those renting apartments on the Island, prices are not much higher than in Bellevue or Seattle. A one-bedroom apartment on Mercer Island can cost as little as $800 a month. And to give their children a chance at a better education and a level of stability, Broz encourages families she serves to stay.
To that end, she does whatever she can to make them more comfortable here. Sometimes all a family needs is a bag of groceries from the Food Pantry. At other times, though, a utility is in danger of being shut off or an eviction notice is imminent. For that, Broz taps a financial assistance fund that can make all the difference for someone in a bind. She just hopes that with energy costs rising and a shortfall in her annual budget, which is dependent entirely on community donations, she will be able to continue to assist the Islanders who need her help.
“I may have to decrease the amount I can offer people because the need is greater,” Broz said.
The typical income of those who use the emergency assistance fund is about $30,000 for a family of four. Many are single parent families without child support.
In providing assistance to them, Broz also does the best she can to preserve their dignity. She recognizes that being poor in an affluent community is somewhat unique.
“There is a greater desire for anonymity,” she said.
The Mercer Island Food Pantry, which is literally a closet, is in a discreet location of the Youth & Family Services building at Luther Burbank Park.
Sandy said that Broz will call her to tell her about programs that might help her out.
“My last resort is to call Sharon,” Sandy said. “She doesn’t make you feel like you’re asking for a handout.”
With a son at West Mercer Elementary and a daughter at Mercer Island High School, Sandy doesn’t want her children to feel stigmatized because of their financial situation. The Youth & Family Services programs help get them the clothes and food they need to lead a relatively normal life. But unlike many kids on the Island, Sandy’s children don’t participate in the extracurricular activities that a lot of others benefit from.
Her 16-year-old, she says, has to come home after school to watch her brother.
“That way I don’t have to pay for day-care,” Sandy said.
While Sandy says that she has never felt unwelcome on the Island, her family still does not integrate itself into the community.
“There are a lot of nice people, but we probably don’t have very much in common,” she said. “We kind of just keep to ourselves.”
There is still a connection, though, that Sandy is grateful for, especially during the holiday season. Broz also coordinates holiday family sponsorships in which a lower-income family is anonymously paired with a sponsor family which helps them with their specific holiday needs.
“The Christmas program makes a real difference,” Sandy said.
Last year a fellow Mercer Island family made it possible for her to get her kids some extra things that they needed.
“That family did a real nice job,” she said.
To help
Cash donations to the Family Assistance Program are always welcome. Checks made out to Youth & Family Services earmarked for the Family Assistance Program can be sent to Mercer Island Youth & Family Services, 2040 84th Ave. S.E., Mercer Island, WA 98040. For more information on supporting this program or any others offered by Youth & Family Services, contact Sharon Broz at 236-3532.
