I am not a welfare case, I just have one.

Since the late 80's, the welfare system has been brutalized, abused, and mishandled  Remember when every wanted subsidized housing in the late 80's early 90's. Everyone wanted Housing in the city or wanted section 8. If you worked for the city it was supposed to help close the gap on the rents in the city, with the wages being paid. 15 to 20 years later, no one wants anything to do with it.  When you enter the shelter system in New York State, you have to open an Public Assistance case. It has to be atleast food assistance. This is the only way that the state will help you in the event that you become displaced. Imagine you are a stranger to the welfare system.  You never needed assistance before. And now your smack dab in the middle of the stigma and stereo-types of being a 'welfare case'.  Now you've become an adjective, a statistic, a program recipient.  How did this happen so fast? That is the question i asked myself, when my wife, two year old little girl and newborn twin boys found ourselves in this situation. Now What?