I want my bills paid. I want to be able to live in my house and get a little food for my kids so that they’re not crying. And maybe at the end of it if I can fill my tummy too, that would be nice too. But I can go far longer without food than my kids can, so…
I’m keeping myself busy so I don’t overly stress. The place I had been working at for almost a year had laid me off just before this coronavirus stuff started because it was their slow season, so I got another job at a place called Tornado. I got the job March 4, and by March 15 or so he had to lay me off because of coronavirus, and he had to close his business. I was the lead chef. I helped do the orders during the week, come up with specials, all that stuff. He’s totally closed, the business won’t even reopen after this.
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated my family and my income. I worked in the food service industry for almost 20 years, it’s all I know and have a background in, and now the business I was working for had to close its doors. So I will still have to find a new job and even now, I have to continue to find ways to feed and provide enough money to have shelter for my children and myself.
Since it was my first time ever trying to collect unemployment, I had an excruciating time doing it. I ended up getting help from my girlfriend to get it all taken care of because every time I tried the system was down or something like that. I never could get in. It took me almost three weeks just to file. I haven’t talked to anybody because it’s been so busy I can’t get through. I got the information that said how much I would be getting, but due to my personal situation and the fact that I unfortunately am forced to pay child support despite the fact that I shouldn’t have to, it cuts my unemployment down to $270 a week. I was in the process of seeking custody of my son before this pandemic happened, but the courts closed for non emergencies so now I’m stuck paying child support for a child I’m taking care of full time. What I will get through unemployment won’t even cover my rent, and that’s saving every penny, not buying food, basic needs for my two children, not paying my cell phone, or electric bills, nothing but rent, and I would still be short by $100. I still haven’t seen a single dime from unemployment though. It’s now going on the seventh week.
I have been diminished to finding odd jobs and working at less than minimum wage just to make some money to get food for my kids. I barely eat, just to make sure my 6 year old daughter and 3 year old son can have full stomachs. Unfortunately I am part of the large group of citizens that relied every month on those 2 paychecks to make every month scrape by. This is the first time in my entire working life that I’ve ever been indefinitely out of work. I don’t know what i will do in the coming months or if i’ll be homeless due to not being able to pay rent. So how has the coronavirus impacted me, in short it has completely overturned and devastated my entire way of living.
Right before this happened, I had a full time job. I went from having a choice of where I wanted to live because the restaurant industry was doing so well to the entire industry being shut down.
I think about everybody else that’s all shut down too. What are all these people supposed to do? We go to work every week because we need to not because we just choose to. I do love my job, but I went there to support myself not just to have a fancy day. I love serving people. And I’m sure I’ll find work again once this is all over. But until then, what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do to feed my kids? What am I supposed to do to pay my cell phone so that I can call my kids’ extended family if I need a babysitter so that I can do an odd job or go to work?
My entire stimulus check is going to pay for my rent. It’s not going to feed my kids, it’s not going to pay my other bills, it’s going to pay my rent. The entire thing. So it’s great that they’re giving us a stimulus check but it’s going right back out. No one’s going to hold onto it because it’s going to pay a few bills and go right back out. I mean, I’ve grown up poor so I know what I’m doing, I’ll make it. But the fact that they’re shutting us down, but they’re not giving us any option or leeway on bills that we’re still forced to pay is ridiculous.
I want my bills paid. I want to be able to live in my house and get a little food for my kids so that they’re not crying. And maybe at the end of it if I can fill my tummy too, that would be nice too. But I can go far longer without food than my kids can, so.
— Jonathan Locke, Everett