BEYOND THE BARREL OF THE GUN: America’s safety net is failing gun violence survivors as they struggle to return to work 

by Shannon Chaffers, Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member “You have to pay rent, you have to clothe yourself, you still might want to go to a movie. You don’t have money to do any of these things, so it’s like they pigeonhole you back into what you’re known to do. And what I was known to do is sell drugs.” As Kareem Nelson, 50, navigated his wheelchair through a Harlem park close to where he was born, he reflected on the financial challenges he faced after being shot and paralyzed at 20 years old. After a one-year rehab process, he soon found himself back in the same position he was in before his injury: unemployed and selling drugs to make a living. After his injury, Nelson was awarded Social Security disability benefits, which became his main source of income from public programs. With no work history at the time, though, he received just $583 a month, which was not enough to cover his expenses. “No one person can live off of $583 a month. That is impossible,” he said. The struggles Nelson faced in establishing financial stability while coming to terms with his disability are still common...