World Vision

WRITTEN BY: Laura Reinhardt / World Vision

Single mom Chabeli Gonzalez returned from her errand to find a message waiting on her answering machine. It came from the local school district inviting her to a distribution of food, cleaning supplies, and school supplies at a nearby church, New Dimension Christian Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

She immediately shared the news with her mother, Carmen. “My mom asked, ‘Are you serious?’” says Chabeli. “We started tearing up.”

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 28-year-old Chabeli worked two jobs — at a shop in her local mall during the day and in a bar on weekends — to make ends meet for herself; her 6-year-old son, Ahni; and Carmen. “This coronavirus is stressful on all of us,” she says.