DEL.ICIO.USHow the recession has impacted Atlantans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, March 29, 2009
SHANEKA WILLIAMS
Age: 18
Joey Ivansco / jivansco@ajc.com
Shaneka Williams had scholarship to attend Clark Atlanta University but was unable to go because of financial hardship.
Joey Ivansco / jivansco@ajc.com
The downturn in the economy has slowed sales at Delilah Whitesmith’s flower shop, making it impossible for her to keep her business running and pay off $100,000 in debt left over from a 2004 expansion bid.
Joey Ivansco / jivansco@ajc.com
Chris Ray, who abhors debt and live-beyond-your-means mentality, has been laid off twice in the last year.
Joey Ivansco / jivansco@ajc.com
Master carpenter Steve West was running a crew of tradesmen renovating homes until the economy collapsed. Now he bids on much smaller jobs and competes against illegal immigrants.
• American Dream deferred for some Atlantans
ABOUT THE SERIES It's the American Dream, and it's over for legions of metro Atlantans.
They worked hard. Played by the rules. And expected, like generations before, to reap the benefits of jobs well done.
But the Depression-like economy douses many dreams, like those of the 18-year-old from Lithonia postponing college. Or the Suwanee florist edging toward bankruptcy. Or the master carpenter scrounging for jobs he considered beneath him a year ago.
Over the next year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will chronicle the lives of a half-dozen victims of the economic morass. Some will founder or fail; others will persevere, even thrive. All will strive to recapture their dreams, a quintessentially American experience.
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City: Lithonia
Family: She and her parents, 12-year-old sister and 9-year-old brother live in Lithonia.
Situation: The 2008 Lithonia High School graduate had a scholarship to attend Clark Atlanta University but was unable to go because of financial hardship. She didn’t have money to cover books or gas to get there. Her mom’s out of work, and her dad’s engineering job is uncertain.
What she’s up to: She’s taking online courses through a college closer to her home. Still unable to pay for books, she does a lot of research online. She recently landed a job at a day care center. She got the job through Young People Matter, a 2-year-old work program that helps teenagers find jobs to help their cash-strapped families. She hasn’t given up on Clark Atlanta.
Quote: “Right now I do my schoolwork online in the morning. All of my classes are online. That helps with the cost. But I really want to try to get to Clark Atlanta in the fall.”
DELILAH WHITESMITH
Age: 48
City: Suwanee
Family: Separated from her husband, Derek. Two children, son J.R., 29, and daughter Bianca, 15.
Situation: The downturn in the economy has slowed sales at Whitesmith’s flower shop, making it impossible for her to keep her business running and pay off $100,000 in debt left over from a 2004 expansion bid. Adding to her predicament, she’s going through a divorce and frequently has to take time off to supervise the care of her daughter, who has cystic fibrosis.
What she’s up to: On the advice of her attorney, Whitesmith is waiting for one of her creditors to sue her over lapsed payments before filing for personal bankruptcy.
Quote: “God just has not put a spirit of fear in me, I know without a doubt that he will come through for me. I just don’t know when. It is his timing not mine.”
CHRIS RAY
Age: 37
City: Marietta
Family: Wife, Laura; son, Carter, 2.
Situation: Laid-off twice in the past year, three times in the past nine years. Abhors debt and live-beyond-your-means mentality. Postpones big-ticket purchases — furnace, roof, car, big-screen TV — until he can pay with cash.
What he’s up to: Hired in December as project manager providing retail support for hospitals and health care facilities.
Quote: “The Bible says the borrower is slave to the lender, and that’s true. You only have to look at our society today.”
STEVE WEST
Age: 47
City: Atlanta
Family: Son, Matt, grown. Daughter, Addison, college senior.
Situation: Three years ago, West, a master carpenter who grew up in Pennsylvania, was busy running a crew of six or seven tradesmen building home additions, renovating kitchens and bathrooms. Today, many, if not most of the large jobs have dried up and he finds himself bidding for smaller jobs and competing with illegal immigrants, the Johnny-come-lately crowd and other hungry contractors cutting their prices to the bone.
What he’s up to: He and another contractor he’s known for years have joined forces, taking advantage of the other guy’s skills and contacts. “The two of us have gotten together. We’re watching each other’s backs. Trying to stay afloat.” A lot of their work is doing smaller jobs they wouldn’t have even considered a year ago. They hope their bare-boned combined operation will provide them enough business to survive until things get better.
Quote: “I remember how hard it was on my dad in the ’70s. But it seems tougher now.”
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