Editor, Below you will find a letter that I submitted to the Liberty County DFCS and cc to the mayor.
This letter is in response to the inadequate treatment that my mother has had to endure by a caseworker with the Liberty county Department of Family and Children’s Services.
My mother, Christina Masters, recently went to the DFCS office located here in Liberty County in search of assistance with purchasing food. She was assigned a caseworker by the name of Rosa Walker who has not only been rude towards my mother, but careless in which the manner that she is handling my mother’s case.
From the start Mrs. Walker has shown no sincere effort to assist my mother. It was only after I contacted Mrs. Smith, who is Mrs. Walker’s supervisor, did she even decide that she was going to work the case she so willingly tried to dismiss prematurely. I personally have spoken to Mrs. Walker on several occasions and she had stated numerous times that she would place a call back to my mother in regards to her case, however I am sad to report that no such call was placed. On one occasion, Mrs. Walker did place a call to my mother on a Monday, and advised her that she would work her case by the week’s end and she would call with the benefit amount once she was done. By week’s end my mother still had neither contact from Mrs. Walker nor food in the refrigerator.
That following Monday I placed a call back to Mrs. Walker asking her about the delay and she advised me and I quote, “I would have time to work my cases if the phone would stop ringing.” I apologized for interrupting her and advised her of my mother’s ongoing need for assistance and reminded her that she stated to my mother that she would get back with her at LAST week’s end. In return, she advised that she would work my mother’s case that day and call her later in the afternoon. Again, she received no such call from Mrs. Walker. That next day, in the early morning, Mrs. Walker finally did call, but it was only to say that she had just worked my mother’s case and that it would take an additional two days for her benefits to be available. She advised my mother that she would receive $40 in benefits for the previous month, $150 in benefits for the current month, and $155 in benefits would be available on the 1st of the month. Sadly to say my mother has only seen a fraction of these benefits. When the card finally was activated there was a balance of $150. There was no $40 from the previous month and on the 1st there was no $155 for the month of September.
I am writing this letter today with pure disgust for the quality of which my mother has been treated. There has been a minute effort on the caseworkers behalf for providing what seems to be “forced assistance.” As a fellow taxpayer and volunteer to the public, it is disgraceful to know that employees at a county building are allowed to disburse such harsh and belittling attitude towards customers. For it is the customers that need assistance that ensure that these jobs exists. I can only imagine what would be of my mother if I had not been there to assist with meals while her benefits were sitting on someone’s desk, or being forgotten out entirely. I also wonder what becomes of those seeking assistance that have no immediate family to fall back on while the assistance office does not assist them. This neglect will not be tolerated and I will not be silenced because I am pretty sure that my mother was not the first nor the last victim of your office.
Treva Thigpen
Hinesville
This letter is in response to the inadequate treatment that my mother has had to endure by a caseworker with the Liberty county Department of Family and Children’s Services.
My mother, Christina Masters, recently went to the DFCS office located here in Liberty County in search of assistance with purchasing food. She was assigned a caseworker by the name of Rosa Walker who has not only been rude towards my mother, but careless in which the manner that she is handling my mother’s case.
From the start Mrs. Walker has shown no sincere effort to assist my mother. It was only after I contacted Mrs. Smith, who is Mrs. Walker’s supervisor, did she even decide that she was going to work the case she so willingly tried to dismiss prematurely. I personally have spoken to Mrs. Walker on several occasions and she had stated numerous times that she would place a call back to my mother in regards to her case, however I am sad to report that no such call was placed. On one occasion, Mrs. Walker did place a call to my mother on a Monday, and advised her that she would work her case by the week’s end and she would call with the benefit amount once she was done. By week’s end my mother still had neither contact from Mrs. Walker nor food in the refrigerator.
That following Monday I placed a call back to Mrs. Walker asking her about the delay and she advised me and I quote, “I would have time to work my cases if the phone would stop ringing.” I apologized for interrupting her and advised her of my mother’s ongoing need for assistance and reminded her that she stated to my mother that she would get back with her at LAST week’s end. In return, she advised that she would work my mother’s case that day and call her later in the afternoon. Again, she received no such call from Mrs. Walker. That next day, in the early morning, Mrs. Walker finally did call, but it was only to say that she had just worked my mother’s case and that it would take an additional two days for her benefits to be available. She advised my mother that she would receive $40 in benefits for the previous month, $150 in benefits for the current month, and $155 in benefits would be available on the 1st of the month. Sadly to say my mother has only seen a fraction of these benefits. When the card finally was activated there was a balance of $150. There was no $40 from the previous month and on the 1st there was no $155 for the month of September.
I am writing this letter today with pure disgust for the quality of which my mother has been treated. There has been a minute effort on the caseworkers behalf for providing what seems to be “forced assistance.” As a fellow taxpayer and volunteer to the public, it is disgraceful to know that employees at a county building are allowed to disburse such harsh and belittling attitude towards customers. For it is the customers that need assistance that ensure that these jobs exists. I can only imagine what would be of my mother if I had not been there to assist with meals while her benefits were sitting on someone’s desk, or being forgotten out entirely. I also wonder what becomes of those seeking assistance that have no immediate family to fall back on while the assistance office does not assist them. This neglect will not be tolerated and I will not be silenced because I am pretty sure that my mother was not the first nor the last victim of your office.
Treva Thigpen
Hinesville