By skyforbes 
LIFE
How my recent bout with unemployment helped me empathize more with those in the system
I’ve always believed in public-supported safety nets for our communities in need.
I just never expected to find myself among those communities.
Perhaps it’s a sense of privilege or a certain egotistical arrogance that made me think I was immune to needing food stamps. I’d been through three bouts of unemployment in ten years, and not once did I need the system.
Until 2022.
I lost my job in July last year. Yes, it was a layoff, and yes, I got a severance. In the past, however, I’d been able to hustle and find freelance work immediately, or my severance was long enough to last me until finding a new position elsewhere.
Not this time.
This time, I wound up applying to my state’s Medicaid program to ensure I had healthcare while out of work. This time, I got approved for food stamps until my unemployment checks started rolling in, because unemployment money is considered income.
Did you know that? Neither did I.
I don’t work in minimum wage jobs or call-center jungles — although, if I did, would…