[NEWS] With General Assistance now gone in Pa., how will people cope?

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

For Jenese McKinley, the last General Assistance check came on July 30.

A $205-a-month stipend she received from the state of Pennsylvania to help her get by is now gone.

“I’m angry and frustrated," said McKinley, 38, a learning-disabled, frequently homeless woman who is unable to hold a job. She currently lives in an apartment in Fairmount owned by the Philadelphia nonprofit Project HOME.

McKinley, who first spoke with The Inquirer last month as she anticipated the end of General Assistance, talked again on Friday about the reality of life without a vital cash infusion.

“I used that money to get shampoo, soap, to do my laundry,” McKinley added. "Plus, I won’t be able to pay my $1 co-pay for my prescriptions. I just don’t have it. I’m worried about my physical health.

“I can’t believe this has happened. It’s not fair.”