'We didn't see ourselves as statistics'

Job Loss Support Group meets Monday mornings in Ephrata

Sunday News

Jun 28, 2009 00:08 EST

Ephrata

By LAURA KNOWLES, Correspondent

It's hard on families when one breadwinner loses a job.

It's even harder when both do.

Denise and Bruce Shirker know that firsthand. The Ephrata couple has been dealing with job loss for three years now, and they are hoping for a lucky break.

"I can't perform a miracle or help you find a job. I'm not an expert," said the Rev. Henry Herbener, pastor of Ephrata's Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, where the Shirkers are members. "But I can give you the support you need to get through these times."

Herbener said that as the Shirkers and other congregants told him of their struggles in today's economy, he had an inspiration. Actually, he noted, the inspiration came from a church in York County that he knew of that had started a support group for persons facing unemployment.

"After talking to Denise Shirker, I realized there might be some interest here," Herbener said.

So the Shirkers and Herbener placed an ad in local newspapers to announce the formation of the Job Loss Support Group. At the first session, there were 16 unemployed people looking for support, guidance and some ideas on how to get back to work. The Shirkers were among them.

While a few of the support group participants are members of the church, many are not; and, Denise Shirker emphasized, the group welcomes anyone with concerns about job loss.

The Job Loss Support Group meets at 9 a.m. Mondays, in the lower-level social hall of the church, 167 E. Main St.

Pam Critchfield, of Ephrata, who is semi-retired and who has spent most of her career in personnel and benefits, volunteers her services to help explain insurance and other issues. She and Denise Shirker have also helped some group participants compile resumés.

Among the many
The Shirkers' experiences with unemployment began when Bruce was laid off from his production-line job at Armstrong World Industries Inc., in 2006, after 29 years with the company. He had missed qualifying for pension benefits by a mere five months.

He was fortunate, after a time, to get another job, with Conestoga Wood Specialties in the warehouse. The recent decline in the construction industry, however, meant that Conestoga didn't have enough business in kitchen cabinetry; Shirker was laid off in January 2009.

At the same time, Denise Shirker said, she knew the paper and printing industry was struggling. She worked as an inside-sales customer service representative for Lindenmeyr Monroe paper company, in Centerville. In February, after 17 years with the firm, she got the bad news.

She, too, had lost her job.

"We have a 14-year-old son who is a freshman in high school," Denise Shirker said. "It's been hard on our entire family."

They had to make financial adjustments quickly; but they were grateful they had never gone for the big house and fancy cars. "We didn't live beyond our means," Denise said.

Still, living on typically meager unemployment compensation — government payments to those who lose their jobs — is hard on the household and on the sense of dignity. Both hard-working and employed for all of their adult lives, Denise and Bruce, both in their 50s, were working-class people who wanted to be working.

"This isn't what we expected. We didn't see ourselves as statistics," Denise said.

With unemployment at its highest level in many years — the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics put it at an astonishing 9.4 percent in May — the Shirkers have joined the ranks of those who comprise those statistics.

Snowball effect
The immediate concern for the Shirkers was insurance. They didn't know the details of coverage when they became unemployed. There was no one to explain it to them, to provide information on COBRA continuation health insurance or other benefits.

What if they got sick or injured? The thought of being uninsured terrified them.

At the same time, they couldn't afford the premiums since they were living on unemployment. It took a while, but eventually they found an insurance plan that was more affordable.

"To top it off, the transmission went out in [Bruce's] truck. We had to pay for that to keep our vehicles running," Denise Shirker said.

The snowball effect is common, Pastor Herbener related. Everything is linked to having a job. When that falls apart, everything falls apart.

The unemployed need guidance to find new jobs, along with support to fight low self-esteem, depression, hopelessness, stress on marriage, illness, financial problems and even the possibility they will lose everything — houses, cars, their families.

Denise Shirker, who has become a quasi-secretary for the group, and Herbener keep an eye out for employment ads and postings that might benefit someone in the group. Individuals who attend the sessions also pass along tips and job-hunting ideas. They are looking for jobs not only for themselves, but for others in the group. And some of the 16 original support-group attendees have been lucky to find new jobs.

"We'll know the group is a success when there are no more members and we have all found jobs." Denise Shirker said.

The group is already dwindling. At the Monday, June 15, meeting, there were six in attendance. But they know there are many who could benefit from support.

Bruce Shirker has found a part-time job at Martin's Country Market, Ephrata, where he stocks the dairy department. He still needs unemployment compensation to meet his family's needs, but he is feeling more hopeful.

"I'm very grateful to Martin's for the opportunity. It has helped so much," he said.

Another member of the support group, Scott Frymyer, of Ephrata, lost his job with Boyer Motor Co., also in Ephrata, after seven years as an auto detailer. Now he is looking for another job in the automobile business, but he'll consider another field. He realizes car companies are struggling.

Ted Overly, of New Holland, was a mail clerk at CoreSource for 10 years before he joined the ranks of the unemployed. He hopes to find a job as an office worker or mail clerk at another business. "I go out to interviews, but so many other people are looking for jobs. It's not easy," Overly said.

Mike Carpenter and Scott Eichelberger, both of Ephrata, worked at Signature Custom Cabinetry Inc., Ephrata; Carpenter doing cabinet assembling for four years, Eichelberger doing sanding and finishing work for five years.

Carpenter lost his job last August; Eichelberger lost his three months ago. The kitchen cabinetry field is closely tied to the building industry. It's not a good career category for finding work right now.

With encouragement from Herbener, Carpenter is considering jobs in machinery and machine operating.

He has experience in those areas and is ready to hone his skills. Eichelberger plans to go back to school to get a degree in accounting. He has always liked working with numbers, and hopes accounting will give him a new opportunity.

Denise Shirker is considering going to school, too. She is exploring the possibility of using her office management and customer service skills in the medical field. She hopes there will be more opportunities there.

Stay hopeful, be practical
At a recent meeting of the Job Loss Support Group, Herbener prayed with the members, asking that they feel a sense of hope for overcoming their current challenges and moving on.

Then he got very practical.

He showed them some job listings in the newspaper that might be worth considering. He encouraged them to talk about some of their recent interviews and efforts to find jobs. One member related that he was frustrated that a company keeps putting him off and not giving him an answer.

Herbener helped to put it in perspective, telling him that while getting the job meant the world to him, the company probably had a lot of applicants and was in no hurry to fill the position.

Another member talked about a "shady" company with whom he had interviewed. Herbener reminded the group that they needed to be careful to avoid being taken advantage of; he encouraged them to not get so desperate that they take a job where they would be miserable.

"You need to determine how far you will go to get to work, what type of job you will do and what lines you can't cross," Herbener advised.

"I think the good thing about this support group is that we are all looking out for each other," Herbener said, adding that the group hopes to bring in speakers who can talk to them about unemployment, mortgages, insurances, resumés, interview skills and more.

Denise Shirker is thankful.

"Being in the support group means a lot to me. It's like getting together once a week to visit with friends in the same situation. We can help each other, air our gripes, express our frustrations, network and even share our joy when something comes through," she said.

"It gives me a sense of purpose."

For more information about the Job Loss Support Group at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Ephrata, call Pastor Herbener, 733-4134. Other churches in the county are also extending similar support; St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Manheim, for example, holds its next Job Searchers' Support Group meeting from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, July 11; call Jim Horton, 665-6584.