Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, November 27, 1995                   TAG: 9511270078
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BETSY BIESENBACH STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MOM WORKS OVERTIME IN LIFE, LOVE

Cheryl (not her real name), 28, is trying hard to make a better life for herself and her three children. She works for a temporary employee service, but this fall, when she was assigned to a job she loved, she decided she would do everything she could to get the company to hire her full time.

``I'm trying to find something stable,'' she said.

For Cheryl, that means always showing up on time, never missing a day of work, and volunteering for projects outside her normal assignments. She also takes night classes when she can. In addition to rearing her children without help from their father, she cares for her mother, who is disabled. In fact, she said, she is the one her entire family turns to when they need help.

As do many working poor parents, Cheryl often feels torn between her desire to do a good job and the needs of her family. Because the number of hours she works each week fluctuates, so does her income. That means that the more she earns, the less the family receives in food stamps, day-care subsidies, and the federal Women, Infants and Children program.

To make matters worse, because she is anxious not to lose any time from work, she must try to deal with the various agencies during her lunch hour or before or after work.

As for her utility bills, Cheryl never knows from month to month whether there will be enough money to pay them. This fall, she used money earmarked for the gas bill to buy groceries when her food stamp allotment was decreased. She fell behind in her payments and went to Roanoke Area Ministries for help. There, she was given money from the emergency financial assistance program, which is supported by the Good Neighbors Fund.

Cheryl's children are like any other kids. They often ask her for things she can't afford. She tells them: ``You know we're on a budget,'' and they seem to understand.

While many people might regard all of Cheryl's responsibilities as a burden, she sees them as ``a blessing.''

Checks made payable to the Good Neighbors Fund should be mailed to The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 1951, Roanoke, VA 24008.

Names - but not donation amounts - of contributing businesses, individuals or organizations, as well as memorial and honorific designations, will be listed in the newspaper. Those requesting that their names not be used will remain anonymous. If no preference is stated, the donor's name will be listed.