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Nikki Maxwell, who you met in this week's web original, A Middle Class Christmas, shares some thoughts on how to get through the holidays on a budget.

Since I was laid-off in September, I've been asked a lot about holiday stress with three kids. Sure, it worries me. Right now, everything worries me. But here's the thing, in the absence of a lot of shopping money, creativity becomes really important. Family time starts to eclipse a need to go find presents at the mall.

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Roz Lee, who you met in a SoCal Connected segment called Down But Not Out gives us an update on her search for work. You can read her previous posts here and here.

It has been several weeks since my last post. I cannot begin to tell you how disheartened I am that I cannot report having found a new job, or being secure with my living situation. I still have not found a job, and I am still walking on egg shells with my landlord. At some point, the scales will tip, and I know that I need to be prepared for the worse if I do not find employment. More importantly, I am concerned realizing that the issues I face are not mine alone.

Over the past few weeks, I have had peaks of great expectation met with lows of uncertainty and wonder. I wonder why I still have not found a job. I wonder how much higher food costs will go, and I wonder why is it, in fact, that when I go to the store, not only are there higher prices...but I'll be darned if there is not also less food! I wonder how long America can rest on the facade of being "okay", when clearly, we need an economic extreme makeover that transcends from our homes into the global economy. I wonder...where is my safety net; the one I thought I had when I was laid off over a year ago? Where is the assistance that I so easily need, but am not prepared to lie or cheat for? I wonder, where is the end to this madness, and how am I going to make it in the meantime. At the end of everyday, after pondering these questions in my head, I look at the news, I talk to friends and family, and I realize it's not about me. There is an issue that is arising that warrants consideration from everyone- not just me.

Since it's original soar in August 2008, the unemployment rate has remained unchanged at 7.7% [EDITOR'S NOTE: Roz sent this post in before this week's jump in unemployment numbers.], it's highest rate since March of 1996. When I hear about so many of my friends and family losing their jobs, or having a hard time making ends meet with the jobs they have, I can't help but to become concerned. Catholic Relief Services states that, "An increasing demand for food and energy at a time of low food stocks, poor harvests and weak credit have led to record prices for oil and food." If food prices are set to stabilize in 2015 (some may even argue that 2015 would be about 3 years too late), then what does the next seven years hold for us? Much tribulation I suppose. This is how I know my concerns and issues are not of my own. I share them with all of you, with Joe the Plumber, with teachers, lawyers, millionaires, and the poor.

I am grateful for the revelation. Something about the scope of the problems brings me assurance, because there is strength in numbers. I have received such an outpouring from people; a kind word is very therapeutic to give as well as receive I have received gifts of food, money, and favors from friends and strangers knowing in my heart that they all have a need of their own, too. It's not about me. It's about all of us. I honor the part I play in being a testimony, and I am grateful for the parts all of you play in being an additional voice. As long as we continue to seek enlightenment over false gratification ( overindulgence in food, television, drink, or drugs), and are open to the fact that it could get worse before it gets better, but alas....it will get better.

For me, THE most important aspect to have in place is your spiritual alignment. It's funny...I am not making the money I used to, nor have the career I used to- but I am SO MUCH more secure. I have not had a stressful day where I am truly anxious over how things will turn out. I am not crippled by insecurities, confusion, doubt, or fear even though I could easily look at the surmounting bills and be so concerned. I cannot imagine going through this without having the anchor of the Lord in my life well established, so as not to sink in desperation. Instead, I am able to float on faith. I can look at my life, and see where my prayers are being answered, despite circumstances that may otherwise seem foreboding. I am so grateful for that.

I am not discouraged by hardships, I am encouraged by the path they create. I hope that me sharing some of this is able to encourage all of you if you are looking at your life wondering " What in the heck just happened!"  Be grateful, and it will only get BETTER!!!

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Down But Not Out - By Correspondent Judy Muller - A middle class mother of two struggles to keep her family from becoming homeless.

Writer and KCET Local blogger Erin Aubry Kaplan wonders what the election of Barack Obama means for black Los Angeles. Kaplan has written about African-American political, economic and cultural issues since 1992. She is currently a contributing editor to the op-ed section of the Los Angeles Times, and from 2005 to 2007 was a weekly op-ed columnist - the first black weekly op-ed columnist in the paper’s history.

The first chapter of a new era is all over. On Tuesday, Barack Obama pulled off the presumably impossible with almost embarrassing ease, defeating John McCain to become the first African American president-elect in our country's history. I was at a viewing party in Culver City with a living room full of people who watched the clock and cheered like fans cheer for their team during game 7 of the NBA finals. Of course, this was far more emotional than any sporting event I've ever seen, the happiness at the outcome much more far-reaching. After Obama's acceptance speech, we poured champagne and toasted something I'd never toasted in my adult life, and I'm Obama's age. There are many things I assumed wouldn't happen in my lifetime, and this one was so remote, it wasn't even on the list. I barely knew how to feel.

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Rabbi Denise L. Eger is the founding Rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, CA. She is currently Vice President of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and busy marrying couples before election day. In this blog post, Rabbi Eger writes about her wedding. In a follow-up post on Monday, November 3rd, she'll share the story of two friends, Robin and Diane.

I did it. After 19 years in relationship. After having a religious ceremony fourteen and half years ago, my spouse, Karen and I got married Saturday night. Our 14 year old son was our best man! The same rabbi who officiated at our religious ceremony 14 years ago married us legally. We had family and friends surround us underneath the wedding canopy, the chupah in our front yard.

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Jenny Price, a writer and Los Angeles Urban Ranger, is the author of "Thirteen Ways of Seeing Nature in L.A.," and contributes regularly to the "Native Intelligence" column on LA Observed. She shares her thoughts on how to share the burdens and benefits of a Green Revolution.

If I've been hearing nonstop these days about the whats, hows, and whys of going green, still there's a whole class of questions that are receiving a lot less attention amidst the enthusiasm for light bulbs, organic peaches, and solar and energy-efficient everything.

Who, exactly, can afford organic peaches? Who can afford the light bulbs and the Priuses and the nontoxic paints and carpets? Who works in and lives near the Prius factories and breathes the emissions? Who, exactly, benefits from carbon trading, which decreases pollution overall but moves it around unequally?

Yes, those pesky "who" questions. Not the kind I see on TV or in the New York Times or People every day--you know, "Who in Hollywood is building an all-green house now?" Rather, who can't afford to? Who suffers the worst consequences of global warming and other environmental messes? Who benefits least from the industrial activity that creates these messes? And who benefits least from green initiatives to clean it all up?

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Sam Hall Kaplan is the author of L.A. Lost and Found. He is the former design critic for the Los Angeles Times and a former Emmy Award-winning reporter for FOX 11. He offered a commentary on LA's billboards in this week's episode of SoCal Connected, and shares some more thoughst below.

Yes, billboards can be ugly, as can be the infinite forms of signage, be they on buildings, off freeways, or on banners trailing droning biplanes.

And yes, the billboard lobby can be deceitful, select councilpersons devious, and our outdoor signage laws confused.

Welcome to the political construct of the City of Los Angeles.

That said, let us not ban all those billboards just yet, and turn the city into blandsville.

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Steve Pyne is a fire historian, professor at Arizona State University, and the author of over 20 books, including "Tending Fire: Coping with America's Wildland Fires." We asked him to join the conversation about privatized firefighting raised in this week's segment "Fire, Inc." You can read his first post here.

The firefight is the great set-piece of American fire management. It seems so obvious: Control the bad fires before you introduce good ones. Seize the battlefield. The drama is overpowering, a moral equivalent of war; exciting, potentially lethal, inextinguishably telegenic. For some seven decades the U.S. threw everything it had into the fight against fire. It won far more battles than it surrendered, and in the end it lost the war.

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Karen Reimus is a lawyer and a married mother of two. Karen and her family lost their home and all possessions in the October 2003 Cedar Fire. The firestorm, the largest wildfire in California state history, leveled her suburban San Diego neighborhood. In a previous blog post, Karen told her story of underinsurance; today she shares gives some hard-won insights on how to best mitigate the threat of natural disaster to your home.

After my suburban San Diego home burned down in the Cedar Fire in 2003, I learned first-hand that a natural disaster can hit anyone at anytime. So, is there something we can do to protect our homes and belongings BEFORE disaster strikes? YES!

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Tracy Westen is CEO of the Center for Governmental Studies, which develops model laws and media solutions to improve governance and civic engagement. We asked him to join the conversation about privatized firefighting raised in this week's segment "Fire, Inc.," and this the first of three entries Tracy shared with us. Check back on Monday, October 6th, and Wednesday, October 9th for the next installments.

Government services for public safety, such as fire prevention, should not be undermined by forces of privatization.

A private company must maximize profit to favor shareholders. But some services are so important to public safety that their provision should not be left to bottom-line oriented forces of supply and demand.

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Steve Pyne is a fire historian, professor at Arizona State University, and the author of over 20 books, including "Tending Fire: Coping with America's Wildland Fires." We asked him to join the conversation about privatized firefighting raised in this week's segment "Fire, Inc."

The wildland/urban interface is a dumb term for a dumb problem, and both have dominated the American wildfire scene for nearly 20 years.

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So it's all out there...it's all on the table. Now you all know a bit about what life has been like for me of late. Most of you already know my story, and know it well. But I have to assume that some of you may also have some questions about what I must be doing wrong if I can't seem to find a job. Some, like the lovely Vera Lusia (thank you ever so much for your kind words in the comments--they carried light) know that the situation is rampant and hitting close to home.  And hear me: we are not the only ones.
 
It seems like everyday I am meeting people who are also displaced, and who also have not been able to find jobs unless they know someone on the inside. I recently chalked it up to the assumption that, by law, employers have to post open positions, but they wind up hiring from within. At least this is what I tell myself because the alternative is just too dark a corner to visit. Let's just say it's very, ummm, depressing. (Ahem!)
 
How depressing? A few days ago, I received my third regret letter from one major bank since Aug 2007. Did I mention that I have a 10-year history in Banking and Finance? Did I also mention that I was not offered an interview - not even an interview - for three positions I had applied for over the past year and half with another major bank? Now, that that bank has been in the headlines for financial problems it is apparent why.
 
Two days ago , I applied for an awesome Trainer position in Pasadena. It is with a heavy heart that I expect to hear that the position has been filled with someone who more closely matches their ideal candidate. Did I mention that I have been in Training Design and Delivery for the past 6 years from Trainer I to Training Manager? I even applied (twice, mind you) for positions at a department store. The first response was that the position was filled with someone else, and the second was that I was overqualified for the sales associate position. Imagine that; being told you are overqualified to work.
 
I did hold one job for a short while. I had to quit. And they knew I would...eventually. It was with a timeshare company, and I was so desperate to work that I did not mind the fact that I would only be working no more than 20 hours a week. I went in with the conviction that I would work hard and earn more hours. That's the way the company worked. What I did not expect was gas prices to hit an all time high (at the time), nor having to commute to Anaheim, Ontario, Irvine - may as well have been frickin’ Pluto.  (At least the trip would have been more interesting, certainly not less time or gas consuming)! I had to pay a sitter, pay for gas, eating would have been nice, but often was not possible, plus handle whatever costs may occur in that day for the $50 salary I'd make for it. Dude, I'm not kidding. And all for the sake of just having a job. Fortunately for that company, they expect the high turn over. Unfortunately for me, I needed to work so bad that I took the first hot coal on my plate...and paid for it. Literally. So please don't assume that I must be doing something wrong, or that I must somehow not be worthy of the jobs I am applying for. I think, if this is your opinion about my situation, you need to take a good hard look at some of the people around you, maybe even in your own back yard. There is a situation brewing that none of us are in control of. 
 
I'm still looking, as I will continue to do. Since I '"don't qualify" for cash aid (in my opinion, simply because I refused to lie about my situation; I think the truth is evidence enough that we need a break) I cannot get the other services I could use to help me out of my situation, like child care services while I physically look for work. But I can't give up. My Bishop at the Victory Bible Church in Pasadena instilled the word in me that God is my ultimate provider. In saying so, His will for me is not to sit back and play victim. Not at all. Not ever. So I will continue to apply, as I have for several jobs this week. The one I am most excited about is the position in Pasadena that I mentioned above as a trainer for a credit union. Wish me luck, ya'll!
 
To conclude, there needs to be an eyebrow raised with concern over the fact that so many people like you and I, and Vera's sister, that are being forced to seek aid just to have bare necessities. People think that aid is readily available, but in fact, getting it involves stepping intp a convoluted web of confusion geared towards total control of you and your situation. But that's another story.
 
What would you do if you were in my shoes? Hearing from you helps keep me grounded. Your thoughts are warmly welcomed!
 

Over the next few weeks, Roz Lee, who you met in a SoCal Connected segment called Down But Not Out will be blogging about her search for work on SoCal Connected.

You can call me Roz. I am a thirty-two year-old, 80's-loving (because let's face it- those were the best times on Earth), movie-going, God-fearing, fun-loving, love-giving, single, professional, and happy mother of two. Originally from Asbury Park New Jersey. I've been a resident of sunny Southern Cali for 26 years now. Currently, I live with my domestic partner of 7 years (and the proud father of our children) in Monrovia, Ca.
 
I have worked all my adult life. I remember my first job. It was a blast. I was 17 years old, and I worked just blocks away from my alma mater, Hollywood High Performing Arts Magnet. (Go Sheiks!) Anyway, when I received my first paycheck, I remember exactly what I did with it: I bought an outfit, a ponytail extension (don't laugh), and a ticket for the first annual 92.3 The Beat Summer Jam--ya'll remember those? It was so much fun. I met and hung out with Tupac Shakur after the show with my friends. In hindsight, probably not so good an idea, but we were safe, respected, and had the best time of our lives. And I had made it all possible! Once I got a taste of making my own money, and being able to set the course for things I wanted to do, have, and experience, I decided that I LOVED to work. I had not been without a job since then...until now.
 
In March of 2007, almost a year after my mother's passing, I received notice that I was being laid off from my $70k+ a year job as a training manager for a major Insurance brokerage firm. It happens all the time, right? And I felt, too, that things would be okay. I mean, I received a great package. I had a couple of weeks, even, to channel my inspirations towards where I wanted to go from there. It felt like a very free time in my life, if that makes sense. I felt liberated, and inspired. I was powerful because I had the freedom of choice. I could choose to do anything I wanted to do! It's a great feeling for a time. Yet, here we are almost 2 years later, and I still have not held a solid position since. What's happening? What's going on?
 
Maybe my story sounds familiar to you. Perhaps you, too, are seeing changes in the organizational structure at your job, and are wondering what you are going to do if you should loose your job. Perhaps you are working and busting your tail everyday for a paycheck that still cannot seem to scratch the surface of all your financial needs. Whatever your story, at the center of it, mine is the same. Fortunately for me, there is such a thing as grace and mercy!
 
I have been in the process of actively seeking aid for my situation. I hope these blog postings will help keep you in the loop of my progress towards re-claiming my piece of middle class  America. I just want to work hard, make a contribution, live life, and take care of my family. We don't ask for much, do we? Journey with me, and let me hear your story, too. You never know what your words can inspire.

Related Materials

Down But Not Out - By Correspondent Judy Muller - A middle class mother of two struggles to keep her family from becoming homeless.