Since last March, countless New Jersey residents have experienced the loss of crucial income from layoffs and reduced hours, as well as changes in their daily lives from the shutdown of businesses, schools, daycares, and after-school programs.
Marissa, who we met in the early days of the pandemic, was one such New Jerseyan grappling with these unforeseen changes.
“The adults in my household have been laid off, and I’m worried about how to feed my three children, since the daycare where I worked has closed,” she told us. “Luckily, I’m a saver, so I’ve had the money to pay our rent so far. But once that runs out, I don’t know what’s next.”
She waited anxiously in her car at Essex County Branch Brook Park to get some relief from the FoodBank – a box of food to help sustain her family of five for the next week.
“We’re just living day by day,” she said. “Getting this food from the FoodBank really helps. It’s comforting to know that we’ll at least be able to eat for the next couple of days.”
As our state continues to face uncertainty, the struggle against the pandemic’s economic effects is far from over, but CFBNJ remains steadfast in helping our neighbors, like Marissa, along the road to recovery.