Joe, who preferred to remain anonymous, in his late 30s, born and raised in northern Nevada in difficult circumstances, a former UNR and TMCC student in criminal justice, has helped residents process applications for various public benefits as a social case worker, giving him insights into local needs and struggles.
“I've always had a desire to try to help and give back to the community. And so particularly with those who are less fortunate,” he said during a recent interview for Our Town Reno.
“One of the biggest criminogenic factors is, you know, lack of income, [which] definitely contributes to criminal behavior, out of desperation. So if you can help people out of a desperate situation, inherently, theoretically, you could help mitigate criminality,” he said.
He believes expanding access to local mental health programs is instrumental. Mental health challenges, he says, worsen addiction issues, which can make the road back on track that much more arduous.
In his work, he has seen various forms of poverty, ranging from generational poverty to sudden onset.
“Everybody that comes in is in a pretty desperate time,” he explained. “Even if they didn't qualify for a particular benefit, we had the ability to provide guidance towards resources that could be beneficial.”
Cliches of who comes in for such help though are often misguided he says, as he’s seen “people from all walks of life,” included a married couple of two doctors, who went into research rather than practice.
“Very long story short, the funding for their research dried up and they ended up losing their jobs,” he remembers. “They ended up going through their whole savings. And the unfortunate reality is they ended up having to come in for assistance because they went through everything else that they had, and they weren't able to get back on their feet without some help. So it just goes to show that, you know, any one of us can be a paycheck away from needing help,” he said.
For himself, it felt rewarding to assist.
“Nobody gets into any sort of government service to become rich because any sort of public service that that's not what the goal is. For those who have a sincere desire to try to help people, any sort of public service offers that opportunity.”
His own upbringing was rough, as is the case for many social workers.
“I did grow up in a pretty poor household, [with a ] pretty rough upbringing,” he said. “I was taken away. I was in foster care. I got a lot of stumbles, but a lot of the people who crossed my path definitely helped guide me to a path where I didn't follow down the same road, if you will.”
He says a lot of his childhood friends got into crime and drugs, which gives him even more insights into the people he’s trying to help.
“I legitimately understand where you're coming from, and there is a path forward. For every rough time I've gone through, it's paid dividends in being able to help somebody else and really show that empathy and understanding.”
He talks about the “tyranny of the moment,” which can trap people.
“You know, your power bill, your power is getting shut off. You know, you have eviction notices … So, hey, let's back up a little bit. Let me see what I can do for you. I may not be able to help you in this particular way, but here's these resources to, you know, help you get on track,” he said.
He understands though the difficulties of locals so consumed by just trying to survive that they can’t plan for the future, or have any hope left for a way out. Though his own example, experiences, patience and persistence, he says he always tries to bring them back onto a better path.