Lights on Raleigh's Bicentennial Mall highlight joblessness in NC

Credit: Steve Sbraccia for NBC-17

Dozens line up at jobless vigil on Raleigh's Bicentennial Mall to listen to speakers

By: Steve Sbraccia | NBC-17
Published: October 10, 2011

Frustration over the hard economic times continues to spread. And Monday night on the mall that stretches between the Capital building and the legislative office building there was a visual outpouring for help.

Hundreds of paper bags filled with tiny candles were lined up along Bicentennial mall, representing the estimated 1.2 million jobless in this state.

Among those jobless is Hope Krehbiel, whose unemployed for two years and had to live in a homeless shelter for a time.

“It’s so frustrating to go out there every day and apply, check your email and get nothing back,” explained Hope.

For her, the answer is government help.

“Congress, legislators and lawmakers need to do something to bring us all back to work<’ she declared.

The event was staged by the NC AFL/CIO to mark the start of “America wants to work” week.

“It is time for every person in this country to earn a living wage,” said Rev. Nancy Petty, the Pastor of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh who was one of those who spoke.

Congress, legislators and lawmakers need to do something to bring us all back to work.

Cynthia Gallion attended the vigil.
She’s a state worker who found her hours cut back and economic turmoil resulting from the loss of pay.

“It’s very tough,” she said. “I don’t even live alone. I live with my family and we pool all of our incomes together and it’s still a struggle.”

Organizers of the vigil say lawmakers need to look beyond today’s budget problems or they predict the cost will increase.

“We’re hurting ourselves in the long run if we do not take aggressive action now to put America back to work,” believes James Andrews, the president of the NC AFL-CIO.

One of these candles represents on the mall represented Marcella Robinson; out of work for two years and facing foreclosure of a home that provides shelter for four kids.

“It is disheartening to see companies are telling the unemployed not to apply if you are a long term person who is unemployed,” she lamented.

Leverette Guess thought he’d retire and live the American Dream, but it didn’t work out for the 67 year old.

“I couldn’t live just on social security,” Guess explained. “I’ve been trying to get a job since 2006 and can’t even get a job at McDonalds.”