Coming up on Reel Midwest: Homegrown.

Poverty is not a lack of character, it's a lack of cash, nobody wants to be in poverty.

Even the ones that accepted it do not want to be in any form of poverty, and sometimes a little help financially, it will just turn the light on, because they see a possibility.

A guaranteed income experiment in Gary Indiana helps to stabilize the lives of residents.

And then My plan has always been pretty simple.

I learn English, I study to be a nurse.

And then I can stay here hopefully Follow Zee, a non-binary aspiring nurse from rural China as they seek to build a gender affirming life in the Midwest, that and more on this episode of Real Midwest: Homegrown (News report:) It's an idea that's grown increasingly popular in recent years, guaranteed or universal basic income payments.

Now a pilot program is launching in Gary, Indiana, it's distributing $500 a month to 125 randomly chosen citizens with no strings attached.

The Public Private Pilot is about expanding the safety net for residents straining to make ends meet.

You were selected to receive $500 a month for 12 months.

Now I'm able to actually make a payment.

So that made my day.

Well, now I can get some art supplies for my business.

(News:) What is it that you need in your communities?

What is it that you need in your city?

What do you think our federal government should be doing for individuals across our nation?

The GIVE program was a blessing really, it came out of nowhere, I was very happy, I was able to do things that I hadn't been able to do before.

And one of my hopes was to get back into school.

Something in the social sciences want to be an advocate for the downtrodden.

Because once I was downtrodden Everyone always put this stickler of poverty on black and brown people.

What COVID exposed was everybody was hit with poverty.

Even the working class Whites, Asians didn't matter.

I lost my job.

And two days later, my daughter lost hers.

So thinking about how can I help my family?

I came across an article and they were talking about merits for guaranteed income.

And I talked to Mayor Jerome about it I'm like, Can we do this?

And he's like, Yeah, and so it just took off from there.

Coming from a city that's economically depressed where a significant portion of the residents live below the poverty level.

Certainly glad to benefit people here in the city, but also glad to be a part of a national movement and help other people across the country.

Back in 1976 I got out of the air force to work in the steel mill.

I was earning a lot of money working at steel mill, off and on 36 years.

Gary has some historic challenges.

At the height US Steel probably employed about 30,000 people today.

I believe they're down to somewhere right around 7000.

There's not very many industries here in the city that have the ability to employ as many people as US Steel did.

I'm hoping that the majority of people who participate will have found an opportunity through this program to not only create pathways to elevate themselves out of poverty, if you will, but to enhance their standard of life.

I am a Disabled Veteran I had a heart attack in 2018 and being a diabetic, getting the money from the program made it easier on my pocket.

I take insulin before I eat twice a day One of my hopes was to do more for my family such as sending my handicap son care packages.

This is the Staples that I like to do all my shipping from.

He's 27 years old and he loves hot chips and he loves to dress.

And he loves cologne.

So he likes to look good and smell good.

He's nonverbal.

And he lived with me for a while, but I was unable to take care of him the way I wanted to, because of my ailment.

He's in the group home.

He does fairly well.

Sometimes he's violent, he can't explain himself because he can't talk.

He gets frustrated and it comes out as a violent act.

But they're working together as medication mellows out Hello, Augustine, how are you?

Augustine: I'm good.

How are you?

Great.

This Miss Peeples from the GIVE pilot.

Augustine: Yes, Yes.

Dude I have some wonderful news.

Well, you know, already know that GIVE is an organization guaranteed income is just one of our programming.

I have a meeting coming up.

And I would love for you to attend Augusine: Ok. Yeah, because I want more people to know what IUN is doing.

And they can see what IUN is doing for you.

And they'll they'll want to just go and check the school out and my prayer is that they want to enroll.

Because there's a lot of individuals that want thier higher education degree, they just don't feel like they can do it because they don't know about the different programming or the scholarships that's available.

The dollars are great.

But a lot of the participants like man, these resources, we've never had opportunities like this before.

And being available to have those talks and to listen and to pray for those that need prayer.

This is the best the greatest part of this job for me.

You know doing that disbursements is wonderful, but being available for the participants.

That is what I find my greatest joy Hey boy.

How you doing?

Mailperson: How are you?

I'm pretty good.

Thank you.

Right thanks a lot.

You too take care.

The COVID had everything locked down visiting with Austin.

My handicapped son was non existent.

Recently they opened up the doors again to have visits will go into Flora, Indiana, down across from Lafayette, Indiana, which is approximately 84 miles from here.

To see my son Austin I haven't seen him for two years it's a pretty good little trip.

I'm pretty excited about getting to see him.

Nice kitchen Got some goodies for Austin.

Can you put them away?

Ha Ha he knows doesn't he?

How you been man?

Give me a hug or something.

Austin, I like your haircut man.

It was a great visit.

Medications are helping him function better.

They said his appetite is good.

His weight gain is good.

I can make it down here more often.

Hopefully when I do get my degrees and purchase a home and I'll be able to have a big enough for me and Austin to have a staff to help take care of Austin.

$500 a month reassured me and made me more determined to get something done with my life.

I'm taking sociology, and I'm taking introduction to African American history.

I do have a love for the city.

And there is a need for advocates in the city.

I really want to help Gary rise again.

We realize that a $500 allotment or gift as we're calling it, is it going to be the panacea or the resolution to all of your issues, we're just trying to provide an opportunity that hadn't existed before and create some synergies with people that allow them to uplift themselves.

The people that live here, they want more, they want better, they don't want to just move away and leave it desolate No, they want to put their hands to the plow too.

Poverty is not a lack of character it's a lack of cash, nobody wants to be in poverty, even the ones that accepted it do not want to be in any form of poverty.

And sometimes a little help financially, it will just turn a light on because they see a possibility.

And Augustine was like, Listen, I want more than this.

He's like, I'm gonna get this degree and he has taken ownership of his future.

(♪ music full ♪) My plan has always been pretty simple.

I learn English.

I study to be a nurse.

And then I can stay here.

Hopefully.

(Speaker:) I know it's a big challenge and a daunting task but you can do it.

We will be watching and cheering you on.

Congratulations to all our Fall 2021 college of nursing graduates (applause) Take charge of the health care world because it desperately needs you to manage it.

Highest Distinction University Honors Where am I supposed to put this?

(talking in Chinese) Awarded at Iowa City in the state of Iowa I've been in Iowa for five years and it's a comfortable place my parents saved up everything just to help me have a life here.

So I guess there's a little pressure.

(talking in Chinese) The license exam is coming.

If I can't pass that I can even get a nursing internship and I definitely cannot stay here (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (audio:) When you see the fancy words Negative enotropic, negative chronotropic don't freak out.

All that's saying is what it's like ventricular bygeminy.

(talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) The team critical care expertise expertise preload urine output less than 50 milligram respiratory rate (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) What do you like to do?

What's your weekend plan?

What's your dream?

(talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (audio:) our arteries what's going to happen in the placenta (audio:) this is a scenario where you lose touch with reality when you go insane (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (audio:) #3 patient teaching teach these patients the onset and duration first thing you must do to get a psych question correct is to decide is my patient (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (♪ music ♪) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) I get to be an RN, but my nursing internship won't last forever.

If I work really hard, maybe I'll get a real position.

I have to stay hopeful I have to stay here.

(talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) (talking in Chinese) I kind of became an adult in Iowa.

So I want to stay hopeful.

But I'm tired of just worrying about staying here.

Goodbye Iowa.

I will miss you.

(♪ music full)