Fifty-one-year-old Altagracia is proud. She worked her way out of affordable housing, and with her job as a dining and retail supervisor at a local university, she was able to buy a multi-family home. She lives on the first floor with her grandson, whom she adopted, while one of her daughters rents the upstairs unit for her and her two teenage step-children.
But when she sustained a back injury on the job and was forced to take time off, it drastically reduced her income, leaving her with only $200 per week in disability benefits.
Prior to her injury, Altagracia earned enough to pay her mortgage, car payments, and household expenses. But without her normal income, all of that became much harder. Altagracia knew her situation was temporary – but that didn’t make it any easier to cover the bills.
We met Altagracia at Olneyville Food Center in Providence, a member agency of the Food Bank. She had picked out some milk, bread, fruits, and vegetables, and was planning on making a dish from her native Dominican Republic. She shared that she’ll only visit the pantry when she truly needs it, but that’s been more often lately.
In these times of uncertainty, Altagracia is most concerned about her family. Her adult children have had problems of their own and rely on her a lot. She knows they’re grown up, but she says that doesn’t stop her from worrying about them.
“It’s just me and my kids,” Altagracia said. “I may fall, but for their sake, I get up. As hard as the world is, you have to.”