99ers: Share Your Stories

Through the week, we've been sharing stories of 99ers — people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits and are still struggling to find work.

With Louise, we learned that many 99ers can't even get the jobs they held as teenagers, flipping burgers at a fast food place. Yvonne shared with us her fear that, even after 30+ years in the workforce, she'll never have a real job again. Susan expressed her frustration with politicians who seem to ignore the plight of those who are suffering. What about the American dream? Doug told us that it's anything but after three years without a job. And, finally, Ricky told us about his deepest fear — that his 11 year-old son will be taken to foster care if they're evicted from their home.

We chose these five people to represent the suffering of millions of Americans who've exhausted their unemployment. For every post I wrote, there were many other people, emailing me and calling me with stories of fear, loss and financial ruin.

Take for instance, Gregg Rose. He started the website Tier V Unemployment Extension Needed to help 99ers connect with each other, contact their elected officials and find support. Gregg lost his job in the telecommunications industry when his company downsized due to the recession. Then, a few months after he lost his job, he found out that all his savings had been stolen by Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff. Gregg, who says he used to get calls from head hunters once a month, has a long and impressive resume, but cannot find work in this economy.

Or consider Renee. At 32, she got laid off after 10 years as a retail manager, and went back to school to become a counselor because she loves helping people solve problems. Her problem is that it's been impossible to go to school and stay afloat at the same time, but she can't find a job either. When she called to see if she could qualify for food stamps and welfare, she was told she wouldn't qualify unless she had a baby, which she says the welfare officer actually encouraged her to do.

"I don't eat much, I go to my parents home and eat one meal a day," Renee says. "I feel like such a failure."

There's Justin, a single dad who was laid off from the construction job that was putting him through school. Or Ben, whose three kids now wear hand-me-downs because they can't afford what they were used to. Or Palidinette, a tireless advocate for the long-term unemployed who lost her job in the mortgage industry and then was hit by a drunk driver while crossing the street.

We know there are more stories out there. They deserve to be told.

As a journalist, I believe one of the most powerful things we can do as human beings is to share our stories. Unlike statistics and studies and research, personal stories cut to the heart of a situation, exposing the suffering of everyday people.

Sharing your story may be a hard thing to do. But it's an incredibly brave, extremely important way for us to help other people understand what's going on in our country.

Many of you have already begun sharing your stories in the comments on other posts. Won't you share your story with us here? Please leave a comment, telling us your experience being unemployed. We appreciate your honesty, bravery and generosity.