Shelly: The COVID-19 Pandemic Cut Her HoursiIn Half

In March, Shelly was working 40 hours a week at AutoZone. But when the pandemic swept the nation, her hours were cut in half. 

On top of having her income drastically reduced, Shelly’s expenses went up because she had to pay for a babysitter to help her son complete remote schooling. 

In May, Shelly left AutoZone for a new job at Walmart. 

“Walmart gave me 40 hours starting out, and then the pandemic began to affect them and my hours got cut there too,” Shelly said. “It’s been a struggle.”

Shelly applied for unemployment to make up for her lost income, but was told that she made too much money to receive full benefits since she was technically underemployed not unemployed. All she received was three weeks in back pay. 

At the end of the summer, Shelly left Walmart and took a job at an Amazon distribution center where she could get 40 hours of work a week. 

“They pay a livable wage,” Shelly said. “It’s not comfortable, but it’s decent.” 

With school back in session, Shelly is paying for a babysitter to watch her 11 - and 3-year-old kids. One bright spot has been that her son, who has ADHD, has had better focus since learning at home. She also takes care of her mother who contracted COVID-19 and was disabled. 

“I had to go to her house to assist her,” Shelly explained. “Then her stove broke, so now I have to cook for her and take her food.”

Because of reduced income, Shelly fell behind on her bills, including her rent. In August, her landlord evicted her. 

“I was trying to pay my bills,” she said. “We went to court about it, but [in the end] I had to move and rush to find a place. I’ve been homeless before and I didn’t want to [be there again].”

Shelly used a $500 payment from SaverLife and MetLife Foundation to pay the first month’s rent on her new home.

Shelly had been using SaverLife for a few months before receiving the grant to help her find ways to save money. 

“I was living paycheck to paycheck, [and I’m] still living paycheck to paycheck,” Shelly said. “[But I] can breathe a little bit easier now.”