NORTH BEND — The Bay Area was supposed to offer a refuge from the rigors of life on the road. Instead, events have robbed Larry Williams and his wife, Christel, of their independence.

Faced with mounting debt, the North Bend couple turned to government agencies for help. Like many first-time assistance seekers, however, they are finding help to be in short supply.

The Williamses met while both were camping at Bogus Creek near Glide four years ago. Christel was living in Roseburg, and Larry was a traveling millwright. Two years later, they were married. She joined him on his travels, but eventually they grew road-weary.

“I said, ‘Let’s go somewhere and plant our feet,’” she said.

They moved to North Bend in May 2008. Larry, 52, had a friend at Southport Lumber who got him a good job there.

“Thought we had the brass ring,” he said.

Then came September.

Getting sick

Larry started having health problems. His physician diagnosed a problem with his kidneys. Then came a massive heart attack. After stabilizing his condition, doctors told him he had a rare kidney disease that would require a transplant. He took medical leave from work. Then, in November, a letter in the mail informed him his job was a casualty of the souring economy.

He looks like he still could manipulate a welder, but his appearance belies a weakened body. His illness makes it hard for him to stand for even a short time.

The North Bend couple was temporarily without an income when Larry’s temporary disability payments ran out in January. They have since qualified for federal Supplemental Security Income, and Larry will get Social Security disability. But the latter doesn’t take effect until April. Meanwhile, his medical bills have grown into the tens of thousands, and their rent is past due.

Christel was looking for part-time work when her mom died. The 44-year-old drove to Eureka, Calif., to comfort her dad. Since Larry’s heart attack, taking care of her husband has been a full-time job. She frequently puts her hand to her chest as she talks about their ordeal, occasionally wiping away tears at the thought of her husband’s declining health.

They looked to their family for help as long as they could, and they got an emergency food box from a local church.

“You don’t feel like a dad or grandpa when you can’t take care of the kids,” Larry said.

Asking for help

They turned to Oregon Coast Community Action in hopes of housing assistance. They quickly discovered they were not alone.

“It was so full, you can’t get in,” Christel said.

After filling out application forms and going through an interview, they were told there was no funding available.

Bob More, director of housing and emergency services at Community Action, said the Williamses represent a growing demographic. The number of people requesting assistance from Community Action is pretty consistent from previous years. But the kind of problem has changed. In years past, people might complain about a landlord’s unwillingness to repair a leaky roof. Now the main issue is evictions.

The number of people asking for help because of evictions has shot up five times from what it was last summer, More said. And many of those people are seeking assistance from Community Action for the first time, he said.

Part of the problem is the federal grant cycle. More’s office stops receiving emergency food and shelter grants in December. The new round doesn’t start until March. In previous years, the gap has been filled from other sources, such as the Coquille Tribal Community Fund or the state, though it’s never enough.

This year, More said, he has about $500 to distribute each week, and between 20 and 25 households looking for assistance. He tells families to look to relatives, friends and churches, though he realizes that is rarely enough.

“It’s just real difficult,” he said.

The Williamses did get some help in paying their energy bill and qualified for food stamps. Larry got approved for Medicaid, which will help pay for prescription medicine, but they still don’t know how they’ll pay their rent.

“What happens when the last lifeline has nothing?” he said. “I’ve worked since I’ve been 12 years old. I thought, ‘This is what I’m paying into all my life.’”

When he hears about all the money going to financial organizations from federal bailouts, he gets mad.

“Why shouldn’t there be money for communities like this one with people who need real help?” he said.

A bailout?

The latest federal stimulus plan will increase unemployment benefits by $100 a month for 329,000 out-of-work Oregonians, including 53,000 people who previously were ineligible, according to White House estimates. Tom Towslee, a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the emphasis will be helping people get back to work. Health care improvements will probably be in another bill later in the session.

Christel said it has been hard asking for help. It surprised her when a Community Action counselor suggested she knock on neighbors’ doors to see if someone could lend a hand.

“We don’t know how to ask for help,” she said. “I don’t like to say ‘beg,’ but that’s how I feel.”