Residents face various struggles amid tough economic times

They're mothers, fathers, neighbors and friends. They've strived to reach the top, and many have hit the bottom. These characteristics make up the faces of downtown and Paradise residents, many of whom look a little more bleak than in the past.

One of these residents is Maria Jarero, a mother of three children and a Clark Country Parks and Recreation Department employee. Jarero began working part time with the county about a year ago while pursuing an associate's degree in business from the College of Southern Nevada. She had to put school on hold, however, after her hours at the parks and recreation department were cut six months ago.

"I'm a semester away from an associate's degree, but I had to drop the classes for this semester because I have no income and no way to afford books," Jarero said. "Financial aid only goes so far."

Jarero works 14 hours a week for the county and volunteers several hours at HELP of Southern Nevada, assisting with the intake of people in need with situations similar to hers. She said volunteering with the nonprofit group is what gets her through the weeks.

"It's hard to get up and get out of bed, and I see why we can get depressed sometimes," Jarero said. "There are other people who need more help and work no hours, and it's nice to know we're not alone."

Steven Evanoff Jr. is another individual facing similar struggles. Evanoff, 40, is a former food industry employee who suffered neck and spinal cord injuries in an automobile crash two years ago, which has limited his mobility and his job options.

"My doctor told me to find a new career, but I'm just kind of at a loss," Evanoff said. "I can't do construction or work at most of these jobs that require a lot of lifting and bending. I've applied to a lot of jobs where they say, 'Everything looks good (on your résumé) except your (health) risk.' "

Evanoff said the hardest part about being out of work is trying to meet the needs of his three children. He said he feels fortunate, however, for the opportunity to have them see positive aspects of the community.

"Last year, we spent Christmas in a church," Evanoff said. "I'm blessed my children got to see the true meaning of Christmas because most of the time, we don't hear about the good stuff. I think people forgot about the true meaning of this time of year."

Jill Mojabi, an employment specialist at HELP of Southern Nevada, works with individuals in situations similar to those of Jarero and Evanoff. She said those who seek employment assistance from HELP come from various walks of life and hit similar walls in their job search.

"A lot of our people have so many barriers against them," M oj abi said. "I have to tell them, 'There are always possibilities out there. You have to be positive and remember there are a lot of good people out there, and good people will step up.' "

Mojabi, who coordinates several employment training classes, has seen people with advanced educational degrees and no job to those without a high school diploma and slim chances given employers' education requirements.

"We've had a lot of people come through our classes who are very well-educated, but they're so depressed with the situation, they don't know the next step," Mojabi said. "We also have people who came here to Las Vegas to find the dream because it was so plentiful for jobs when things were good. But they came here without an education, and they're automatically ruled out in employers' minds."

Thomas Carroll, professor of economics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, warned that today's situation could result in long-term effects for those who have lost their jobs because when the economy recovers and companies hire again, employers will look at applications and find months, perhaps years, of inactivity in the workforce.

"They'll see a period of unemployment for a couple years and go, 'I don't know if this guy was lazy or what, and I'm not going to bother to find out,' " he said. "It's a big, gaping hole that could follow them (applicants) for a long time ... this could be a lost generation."

Lutheran Social Services of Nevada, 73 Spectrum Blvd., said it is seeing more families needing help. It provides services such as help with utilities and rental assistance.

"It's the ones who did have jobs ... before, it was a lot of homeless individuals that we (were helping). Now, it's working people -- or people who were working -- people with families," said Patrick Montejano, the group's director of social services.

Jarero, who has lived in Las Vegas for almost 30 years, said even with limited job prospects and an uncertain future, she remains optimistic.

"The glass is half-full, for sure," Jarero said. "If it wasn't for this (situation), I wouldn't know about places to help the community. It seems like all the doors are closing. We just need one to open."

Evanoff agreed. "My philosophy is it can always get worse," he said. "I've already been down to the bottom. All I can do is go up."

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Lisa Carter at lcarter@viewnews.com or 383-0492.