Hi friends,

I received the email below from a friend of mine, and I'm wanting to help this mama get back on her feet during such a challenging time. I believe that when we come together to lift each other up, we all become stronger. 

My hope is to raise $800 for Alba, which is a month of rent. It sounds like it is just her and her son, and as someone who was raised by an immigrant single mother, I know how devastating financial stress can be on a family... especially when there is concern for paying for the very roof over your head. 

I think every small effort will make a big impact here. Even if it's just a few dollars, they will add up!

Thank you to you amazing women in this community,
Jackie


Dear friends,

I'm trying to help Alba Salinas, the Costa Rican woman who cleans for us, find some extra work. Last week she came to our place for the first time since the virus took hold, and when I asked how she was coping she broke into tears and said that she and her son, who lives with her, were barely getting by and still owed last month's rent. (They live in a basement apartment in the Bronx, with three cats.) Only one other client continued to pay her during the lockdown, and Alba doesn't know when, or if, the others might take her back. Moreover, her son, Glenn, has gotten no help from the florist at whose side he worked for 15 years. 

Presumably no one is looking for a regular housecleaner just now, but perhaps you'll consider hiring Alba to do the spring cleaning that our abodes could particularly use this year. I asked her if she's interested in doing one-time jobs at an hourly rate, and she most certainly is. She agreed that I should suggest $20/hour, but she's willing to work for less. If you want to have the job done twice as fast (at twice the rate, obviously), Glenn can join her. 

Besides doing her work well, Alba is as sweet and kind a person as you'll ever meet, and 100% trustworthy. I've only met Glenn a few times, but he seems to have all her virtues. (For what it's worth, he also has lots of experience with flowers. Anyone need an arranger?) 

If you're interested, please let me know. I'll put you in touch with Glenn, who speaks better English than Alba (fluent English, in fact). Even if you're not in a position to hire her, perhaps you'll forward this email to friends who might. 

Thanks so much! Hope this finds you all well.

Cheers, Ben