((PKG))  UNEMPLOYED SINGLE MOTHER
((Banner:  Getting by with some Help)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  Arturo Martinez)) 
((Map:  Los Angeles, California)) 
((Main characters:  1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
My name is Sonia.  I was working as a caregiver and I had to 
stop working because of the coronavirus.  Now, I find myself 
being unemployed and having to care for my three children 
as a single parent.  The senior that I was taking care of is the 
sweetest person on earth and I love her and she loves me.  
Am I going to go back to her?  I don't know.  In these times 
right now, people are scavenging to pay their bills.  The last 
thing they need is another bill like mine. 
((NATS))   
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Do you want water?  Hold on.  Here you go.  
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
I'm the head of this house.  I am the only income that comes 
in.  But I've been paying with my savings.  How long am I 
going to last like this?  I don't know.  
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
 "I did receive the [federal] stimulus check and that helped. That’s one breather. That money is already set to pay my mortgage for this coming month.  But one month at a 
time, that's all I can do."
((NATS))   
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Okay, time for homework.   
We have literally been locked up in here, like, locked up.  
((Computer))   
Let's look at the relationship between a fringing reef and a 
choral reef again. 
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
So, they're getting their WiFi from the school.  I'm trying to 
cut back as much as I can from bills so that I can pay the 
most important ones: mortgage.  We open up the windows to 
get fresh air.  I always go throughout the house making sure 
that the ceiling fans are off if we don't need them.  And I try 
to disconnect any unused plug that is just sucking electricity 
for no apparent reason.  
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
So, my notice of unemployment insurance award and all I 
see is zero.  What does that mean?  I have no idea.  Weekly 
benefit amount: zero.  High quarter earnings: zero.  I've 
given up calling for every day between the hours of 8 
through 11 and just calling and calling and calling and 
calling.  
((NATS))   
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Five - six - one - six…. 
((Voicemail))   
We have established a new Unemployment Insurance 
Online Assistance Center.  We are currently receiving more 
calls than we have the capacity to answer.  At the end of the 
message, the phone will hang up. 
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
We definitely need more help from the outside because 
inside, there's only so much you can do. 
((NATS))  
((Sonia Benítez)) 
The Food Bank has been literally a great help during this 
time.  And at the end of the day, my kids, they're fed, they're 
healthy and it didn't cost you anything. 
((NATS))  
((Sonia Benítez)) 
We're almost there. 
((Lady)) 
Yes. At what time did you get in line? 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
At 8:30. How about you? 
((Lady))   
It was like 8:20, 8:15.  
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Yes.  Do you come here often? 
((Lady))   
It's my first time. 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
First time? 
((Lady))   
Yes. How about you? 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
I've been here before. Go for it. Good luck. 
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
So, I've been waiting here since, what, two hours-and-a-half 
so far.  It helps everybody right now.  I see Hispanics.  I see 
Asians.  I see Caucasians.  I see everything.  People in good 
cars, people in not so good cars.  We all have the same 
need.  We're all in the same boat right now.  Financially we 
are at our limit.   
((NATS))   
((Sonia Benítez)) 
There we go.   
((Volunteer))   
All the way up. 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Thank you. 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
It looks like this time we're going to get meat patties, lemons, 
salties, beans. 
((Volunteer))   
Hi, any donations today?  We all stick together so this way 
we all have somewhere to go when we need.  So, thank you 
so very much. 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Thank you. 
((Volunteer))   
Is this a blessing? 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Yes, it is. 
((Volunteer))   
Praise the Lord. 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
I don't know if you remember my mom.  She used to come 
here all the time. 
((Volunteer))   
Really? 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Yes, the white hair. 
((Volunteer))   
I get a lot of white hair ladies. 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
I know. 
((Volunteer)) 
Ok, God bless you. 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Thank you. 
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Do I feel embarrassed?  No.  Thankful.  I see all those 
people there and they are just, they really are pouring their 
hearts out assisting everyone. 
((Volunteer)) 
Hallelujah. 
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
All right.  They give us enough, to tell you the truth, that 
when I come here, I get a couple of ingredients and then I 
share the other half.  It feeds several homes.  
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
Some beans.  So, I'm going to give this bag to my neighbor.  
If she has enough beans, then hopefully she'll pass it down 
to her friend who's also a single mom of two girls.  And this is 
what I'll give her.  Hopefully, she'll take two and then give out 
two.  Oh, there's apples and oranges. Plenty for at least two 
houses, if not three.  Some chocolate, asparagus and baby 
tomatoes.  I wouldn't buy cherry tomatoes personally 
because it's out of budget.  It's out of my budget.  Lemons.  
More onions.  So, all of this will get distributed to assist 12 
people in three households. 
((NATS))   
((Sonia Benítez)) 
Here you go.  There's more coming, ok?  Here you go.  They 
gave a lot today.  
((Neighbor))   
I'll give you some money.  
((Sonia Benítez)) 
No, it’s all good. 
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
The only person that goes out is me and as soon as I come 
back in, the first thing I do is wash my hands.  Health, it 
literally is priority.  I would not push for the economy to open.  
No.  Why would you expose yourself or somebody you 
would love unless there's some sort of treatment that 
guarantees that my life will not be at stake.  No.  I don't want 
to push it.  Bills can always get paid later on but you can't 
replace your health.  Am I struggling?  Yes, but I'm not dying.  
That's the worst.  I mean, I'd rather lose the house.  I'd rather 
stand in line and food bank and everything else but I'll still be 
alive with all my kids.  Out there is just a lot of heartbreaks 
and it makes me value what I have here at the house even 
more. 
((NATS))   
((Sonia Benítez, Unemployed single mother)) 
I lost my mom not too long ago.  And while she was in the 
hospital, I was there every day, every single day.  And it's 
sad to see what all these families are going through, you 
know, not able to tell their families goodbye.  I would just, I 
would just die if my mother would have passed away and, 
and not been able to hold her hand and be there with her.  
Some of these families are just going at it by themselves. 
You drop them off at the hospital and that is it.  You don't get 
to say goodbye.  A video chat, what is that?  That is so cold, 
so impersonal.  It really is almost inhumane.  But that's the, 
that's where they're living and you don't want to be part of 
that.  As long as anybody around you doesn't have any 
contact with this disease at this point, I mean, with this virus 
at this point, it's a blessing.  It is.  You just, you don't want to 
know anybody that goes through this because it is painful. 
((NATS)) 
((Banner:  California has started to gradually lift some of its 
lockdown restrictions, but Sonia remains without a job and 
has still not received unemployment benefits.))