Adriean Edwards Interview

Adriean Edwards Interview

Name: Adriean Edwards
Occupation: Heartland Alliance FSS (Family Self-Sufficiency) Program
Location: Chicago

"I had to do the unemployment, go online and do all of that, set up everything for her because she didn’t have a computer at home and she was having problems doing it over the phone. And I've heard those stories from my co-workers as well. And then you know, the different organizations and communities were closed, so it was literally nowhere they can go to physically to get help, and not being able to get through on the phone to unemployment and all of the other social service agencies, that was a huge thing for a couple of months in our program and just us trying to help our participants and navigate through that.

I've had a participant literally on the phone crying with me, saying that, you know, she works for the United Center. And the United Center has been closed for quite some time. And she's the breadwinner for her families for her children or grandchildren are living with her. And she was literally crying like, “I don't know, I'm just I don't know what to do, where to begin.” She was steadily calling for a job; the job wasn't responded to back to her. So, you know, they were in need of food. And I spoke with her last week and she said she had went to a church and she said that church had given her so much food. She said, “my cabinets are full, Adriean.” She was just like; she was overwhelmed, so it overwhelmed me, you know, to hear that. "

IW

Adriean Edwards