Liner Notes

“I tried my best to avoid this. It’s not that I’m ashamed of it — not really. I’ve been on the giving end plenty in my life. I’m not stealing, and my family needs to eat. But I’ve lived 57 years without asking for a handout, and it doesn’t feel natural to start doing it now. I waited and waited. I prayed. I looked up directions to come here the last two weeks and then told myself we didn’t need it. I’m stubborn, and I keep giving myself these little pep talks. ‘You’ve lost jobs before. You can always find another.’ ‘We don’t need a house phone.’ ‘We’ll pay that bill later.’ ‘Turn off the AC and put on a fan.’ I’ve lived in some off-the-grid-type places, and I’m used to managing without savings, but there’s no faking it when you don’t have enough food to eat. That’s basic need. That’s survival.” From WaPo, the latest in Eli Saslow’s Voices from the Pandemic series: Johnny Rivero, on his first time standing in a food line.