Marisol is originally from Puerto Rico and loves her adopted home of Madison, where she has lived since 1999. She has five kids, with the youngest still living at home. Marisol has fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that prevents her from being able to work consistently. She struggled a lot, especially during those times when her health was worse and she couldn’t work. She feels lucky to have some support from the government, but Marisol explains, “With food stamps, I can’t buy detergent, or do my laundry, or get school supplies for my kid.” Once she started receiving payments from MFF, the funds provided a reliable and consistent source of income for her to cover daily family expenses, whether her health allowed her to work or not.
“This money is a big help. A program like this is giving opportunity, and right now this is a blessing. For me, where I’ve been struggling with an illness for so long, and as a single mom when I have to pick whether to pay bills, pay rent, or pay for things my kids need…I’m a person that struggles but I stay strong. Now with this money, it’s making it easier for me to do other things. Before, my kid didn’t get new clothes for the new year, and didn’t get a backpack, nothing. But this year it was like a miracle. The first payment came right when the new school year was starting. The first deposit I got, we ran to the store and got stuff for school, and we were both really excited.”