Community Corner
Newspaper Helps Oakdale Woman Stay in Her Home
When Oakdale woman Mary Stadick was at risk of becoming homeless due to an inability to work, she called the Pioneer Press Watchdog.
Unable to work due to fibromyalgia and having sold nearly every posession—including her furniture and artificial Christmas tree—to make rent, Oakdale resident Mary Stadick was on the brink of homelessness, the Pioneer Press reports.
She's been trying since 2009 to get Social Security disability benefits, a process that can take two years or longer, according to the report. When she reported to the Social Security Administration that she faced eviction, they provided her with the address for a homeless shelter, the report says.
Find out what's happening in Oakdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
With the help of the Pioneer Press Watchdog, and her lawyer, who asked for her case to be expedited due to her impending homelessness, Stadick got her Christmas wish, according to the report. She received an offer from a hearing judge's office for supplemental payments of $650 per month—enough to cover rent—until her case is processed.
See the full report on the Pioneer Press website.