Michael

An immigrant from Ethiopia, Michael is a friendly, gregarious and hardworking single father of two young children.

Prior to January 2023, Michael worked two jobs, with many days totaling 16 hours or more. He worked overnight at Walmart in addition to his main job for Amazon. “I was working 50, 60, 70 hours a week. I would work, come home, sleep, and do the same thing the next day,” Michael said. It took its toll on every aspect of his life. His health suffered; the exhaustion unbearable. With no hours left in the day, the grinding routine left little time to spend with his twins. 

Since being randomly selected to participate in the ARISE pilot program eight months ago and receiving a $500/month cash payment to use as he determines, Michael can now say he is not just surviving. He focuses on the Amazon job, which leaves him time to take care of himself and spend quality time with his children. When asked how his son and daughter feel about the change, Michael says, “I feel my kids are finally getting to know me. They didn’t really know who I am. I was in another country for most of their lives, and when they came here, I was always working. Now, we can spend time truly getting to know each other.”