Coronavirus

Life Has Changed: In San Diego, Boxes Of Food Instead Of Paychecks

A San Diego food service plant had to shut down, sending employees home with boxes of food instead of paychecks.

Life Has Changed: In San Diego, Boxes Of Food Instead Of Paychecks
Kris Arciaga
SMS

"We basically manufacture goods for hotels and restaurants. We have a crew of about 35 people working here. And as of last week, we had to send everybody home. It started with one client, another client canceled and another client, until there was, like, no orders whatsoever. We lose everybody. Boom."

"It changed everything for us, and it changed everything for them.  Most of them, they live paycheck to paycheck, you know, like a lot of Americans do. And for them to stop working, that means a paycheck is not coming home. That means it's gotta be a shortage of food. They won’t be able to pay the bills. The rent."

"Today, we decided to create these boxes, like a care package for each of our employees. ... The basics: beans, rice, milk, cheese, bread, oil, and then we portioned it, and we did about 40 different care packages and then we called them up."

"We told them, you know, we love them, we wish them the best, but now we can't. We have to be closed. But, you know, just to show our appreciation, we give them a little basket. At least it's something, you know.

"We've got no idea when we are coming back. And that's scary, personally, you know, for me and my wife. It's like, what's next? We have a little bit of savings, but we cannot last.

"They're talking about 15 days. We might put the brakes on this. We'll do it together all day, all the businesses. Then everything can come back faster, you know, when it’s time to go back."