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A year ago, Ruben Santos was living in Puerto Rico, using drugs - mostly crack - and drinking.

But even in days Santos admits were pretty dark, he dreamed of what it would be like to have a life away from the proverbial ball-and-chain of drugs and alcohol. He came to America with high hopes - already, his two sisters had established lives here - and he felt a drastic lifestyle change was just what he needed to break the cycle.

''It was a bad situation for me in Puerto Rico,'' Santos said, speaking through Jesus Caraballo. ''I wanted to get off the drugs and away from the drinking. So I came to America.''

At first, things were going well for Santos, who is 38 years old. He had a steady job with the Sanitary Wiping Cloth division at Ace-Tex Corp. and his own apartment. The drugs and alcohol were merely ghosts of his past.

Until July, that is, when he was laid off from his job.

Santos began drawing unemployment, but that was no longer an option after he broke his foot. With no disability insurance and no other income, he was evicted from his apartment on Veterans Day.

''I am a Christian and couldn't turn him away and look at myself in the mirror in the morning,'' Caraballo said. ''But I live in a one-bedroom apartment, and I'm the single parent of a 2-year-old daughter. I can't turn him away, but I can't have him in my home permanently. There has to be another solution.''

Caraballo has taken Santos under his wing. On Wednesday, the pair found themselves on the doorstep of the Jamestown Union Gospel Mission on First Street. But because Santos doesn't speak English, he was turned away - even though there was a bed available.

''We simply can't handle anybody who doesn't speak English,'' said the Rev. John Steinhauser, the Union Gospel Mission director. ''We don't have a translator and couldn't afford anyone. That happens to us all the time - people who don't speak English get dumped on our doorstep. But we can't help them.''

But neither was Rev. Steinhauser able to give Santos and Caraballo any alternatives, so they made their way to the Jamestown Police Department. There, they complained that they had been discriminated against and sought alternatives. Where could a man like Santos find help?

Police could do little except send them to The Post-Journal where, on Wednesday afternoon, a bewildered Santos and Caraballo told their story.

'HE GOT SHORT-CHANGED'

Unfortunately, Santos' situation isn't an isolated one. As the nation's Hispanic population continues to grow, finding ways to reach out will become more challenging. The nation's economic downturn isn't making the situation any easier to bear.

''There are some individuals like Ruben who sometimes do fall through the cracks,'' said Steven Wickmark, the director of the county social services department. ''Somehow, he got short-changed, and that shouldn't have happened.''

Normally, the county's social services department receives a number of referrals from local agencies - like the Union Gospel Mission - that cannot help the Hispanic people who come to them.

''The issue here is a failure to communicate,'' Wickmark said. ''This was a situation where, because of the language barrier, he could not get access to the services that are out there. This breakdown does create a worrisome situation.''

Had the networking that exists between social services organizations in the city and county held up, Wickmark said it's almost certain that Santos would have found an organization that could help. Wickmark forwarded The Post-Journal a two-page list of local organizations who routinely help people just like Santos.

Organizations like the county Department of Social Services, Catholic Charities, the Joint Neighborhood Project, Chautauqua Opportunities Inc., The Resource Center, St. Susan's, Chautauqua County Mental Health, Project Reach and the Salvation Army all have Jamestown offices and together provide services such as cash, food, medical and emergency assistance, counseling, shelter, clothing, budget and crisis counseling, housing services, WIC services, meals, and transportation to appointments.

''There are many programs in place that could help someone like Ruben,'' Wickmark said. ''The trick is getting him to those services. We are very fortunate in Chautauqua County to have a number of well-run organizations who are very good of wringing resources out of the system and ensuring they get to the needy. The reality is that everyone cares about those who are the most vulnerable. As the recession deepens, we feel sure the right services are in place to address the needs we're seeing.''

But in the days after Gov. David Paterson released a laundry list of budget cuts and days before state legislators are set to go into an emergency session to confront a deep budget deficit, Wickmark said the future is a big question mark.

''Your guess is as good as mine,'' he said. ''We're all waiting for the new budget to come out. There's no way to predict what that will do as far as impacting services at the local level. Hopefully, the governor's budget will recognize that budget cuts shouldn't impact the most needy.''

A SYSTEM DIVIDED

The problem of a fragmented service system which aims to help the Hispanic community is on the conscious of the agencies that work within it.

According to Rich Fleurant, director of community building for the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County, word of mouth is the primary way hispanic people are referred to an agency, and it isn't always efficient.

''If a new family comes to the community, a neighbor or family member is usually the guide that walks them down to the Joint Neighborhood Project, or the Eastside YMCA, to introduce them,'' Fleurant said. ''But when they get to the different agencies, they aren't always the right one to help them with their needs.''

The best way to address the issue, according to Fleurant and Patty Perlee, the executive director of Joint Neighborhood Project, is to create a position which would serve as the central hub between all involved agencies.

''The idea is to have this navigator position loosely based on hospital navigators, who are aware of all the services available and based on a person's needs, can direct them to the right place,'' Ms. Perlee said. ''With so many organizations in the area, we don't always know what the other is doing. This position would bring everyone together and put everyone on the same page.''

Fleurant said another benefit of the position would be to prevent the duplication of services and to ensure no one is left out in the cold, as was almost the case with Santos.

''This is not just another position, it's something that is desperately needed,'' he said. ''This position would be the central point of contact for the hispanic community and would alleviate the burden now placed on a few of the hispanic services in the community.''

The two major challenges, in addition to the fragmentation, are language and education, according to Fleurant.

''On the one hand, we do not have enough bilingual professionals that can translate what an agency offers. The ones that are there are definitely overburdened,'' he said. ''At the same time, we have families who are qualified and have degrees, but the language barrier prevents them from getting employment. We also need more accessible language education in the community.''

The Hispanic Outreach Coalition, which was created in response to the growing need for services to be directed to hispanic people, meets monthly and has been working to find funding for the navigator position. Ms. Perlee said that everyone agrees there is a need for such a position, but without funding, the need may remain until financing is available.

UPSET AND SCARED

Santos is slowly getting back on his feet. He spent seven hours Thursday at the Chautauqua County public assistance office on Fourth Street with Caraballo and will be receiving food stamps. But the question of where he'll live is still up in the air - he could receive a $270 monthly allowance toward an apartment, but without a job to supplement that amount, it's likely not enough to find an apartment in Jamestown.

Officials from The Salvation Army pointed Santos toward the Chautauqua County Department of Social Services. Santos will soon be going to Chautauqua Works, an organization that, among other things, provides services for job-seekers.

Even though opportunities are slowly beginning to present themselves, many organizations have a long waiting list - and waiting means Santos is still upset and scared. Caraballo has been his saving grace - as he said neither his sisters nor his mother will help him. Had Caraballo not opened his home and taken him in, Santos would either be hopeless and living on the streets of Jamestown or dead.

''I feel mad and upset, like I have failed in some way,'' Santos said. ''The other day, I thought about suicide. I feel very low. I have been up and down for so many months. The system has not helped me, and I am very discouraged. I am losing my faith.''