Social Networks, Friendships, and Family Ties

Many community members conveyed that they lack social networks. Most people appear to be socially isolated and to have few meaningful connections with others. Many respondents made statements such as this one: "You're on your own, and you have to watch out for yourself out there." Some of the people interviewed seemed very friendly and had a wide circle of acquaintances that they would greet at the kitchen, the shelters, or at church. However, when asked about their social networks, they said that they feel very alone in the world and that they have no one that they trust to turn to when they really needed to talk. In response to the question "When you need somebody to talk to, who do you go to?" one man, who appeared to have many social contacts, said, "Nobody really. Usually I take it to God. But you know, that's my last resort, when it should be my first resort, you know what I mean?" Another man said that he does not have any real friends: "Well, you can say 'associates'. Well, you've got to have somebody you can sit down with and kick it with on the street, but don't expose everything. You don't want to do that, tell somebody everything. You'd be putting your head on a chopping block." He also said that he keeps most problems he has to himself but that he does know a clergyman whom he trusts and will go to if he has "a regular little problem" that he considers "kind of personal."

Some of the interviewees who grew up in the area indicated that they do have relatives they can go to for help. One woman, who has been in and out of the shelters, turns to her mother if she needs to talk. Another Durham native said he has family members in the area but that they are all a "long walk" away. He sees them sometimes, but the walking distance required makes it difficult for him to visit them very often. Other community members had relatives who were in other states, and limited information about these family connections was revealed. People with wider social networks remarked that it was easy to get information by word of mouth. They felt fairly well informed about where to go to get services and how to navigate "the system." Others, especially people who are new to the area, expressed their frustration with the difficulty of getting helpful information about services. One woman said, " I find that the hard thing that I've been experiencing is to get information from people is the hardest darn thing. It's always like 'I have mine, you'll have to get yours.'" She felt that services are available to help someone get a job or find a place to live but that providers and others are not disseminating the information "to the people that really need the help."

Use of Basic Services

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Employment and Employability