Rufus Ford, Detroit

I was born in Mississippi and raised in Detroit. Now, I’m 76 and I just moved back to Detroit last year.

I got acquainted with United Way in 1984 when I was asked to make a song for an advertisement. My father-in-law did the lyrics, and I enjoyed putting the production together. That’s basically what I do in the recording business now. I write lyrics and I help artists.

I’ve been recommending United Way’s 2-1-1 ever since I worked with them over 40 years ago. Recently, I was struggling to pay my utility bills and buy food. I reached out to 2-1-1 and I ran across Tim, a social navigator.

Tim is an excellent, kind young man. We talked about music— he’s a musician, so we connected right away. We sent in an application to help with the bill, but they said I was making too much money on Social Security and disability.

I can relate to ALICE and that’s one of the reasons why I don’t often reach out to different organizations. Social services turned me down because I’m getting Social Security. I’m making too much money, but I can’t always afford to pay my bills.

Even though I couldn’t get help with my utility bill, Tim set me up with great groceries and beautiful free rides to food pantries near me. I’m going to be set for weeks.

I still recommend 2-1-1 all the time because I know that they are there 24/7. United Way is a great organization and it’s not just in the state of Michigan, but around the country.

I had a friend who had surgery on his knee and he was looking for transportation to take him home from the hospital. I told him to call 2-1-1 and ask them about the transportation companies. I said, “Just make the effort.” And he got home.

You just have to follow your instincts and trust someone when you need help.