Rose Gascon
It’s good that Real Change is open so I can talk to anybody. My customers are very happy but I am not selling every day because I’m afraid of coronavirus. Staying home was very hard because I’m alone.
I’m not staying with my daughter, who brought me here to America. My son-in-law passed away from a heart attack. He stayed in the ICU, and last Monday he passed away. For us, it is very hard because he is the only one helping us, going out, buying something, picking up our prescriptions.
Sometimes I don’t know what God wants. I’m doing my best to pray. But I thank God because in the US I get what I want. I get my citizenship, I have housing, but mostly Real Change was the one who helped me a lot.
Shawn Wilson
I’ve been able to stay safe. I do what everyone else does, what I’m supposed to do. I keep a mask on, and I keep my distance from everyone. Throughout the virus, I’ve just been worried about my mom, mostly. I’m going home for her birthday. I have my flight booked. I have gotten enormous support from all of the community and my friends. They’ve helped me make some ends meet by doing yard work for some of my customers – several of my customers, as a matter of fact. And they like my work. They’ve helped me more than they’ll ever know.
Lisa Sawyer
I’m happy to be back selling Real Change. It’s really nice to see everybody again, especially us vendors. We haven’t seen each other since the whole virus happened.
For a lot of us who sell Real Change downtown or in other business areas, it’s going to be really tough because most people are not coming back to their actual jobs until next year because of this coronavirus.