Marisol

Marisol is originally from Puerto Rico and loves her adopted home of Madison, where she has lived since 1999. She has 5 kids, with the youngest still living at home. Marisol has fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that prevents her from being able to work consistently. She struggled a lot, especially during those times when her health was worse, and she couldn't work. She feels lucky to have some support from the government, but Marisol explains, "With food stamps, I can't buy detergent, or do my laundry, or get school supplies for my kid." Once she started receiving payments from MFF, the funds provided a reliable and consistent source of income for her to cover daily family expenses, whether her health allowed her to work or not.

"This money is a big help. A program like this is giving opportunity, and right now this is a blessing. For me, where I've been struggling with an illness for so long, and as a single mom when I have to pick whether to pay bills, pay rent, or pay for things my kids need...I'm a person that struggles but I stay strong. Now with this money, it's making it easier for me to do other things. Before, my kid didn't get new clothes for the new year, and didn't get a backpack, nothing. But this year it was like a miracle. The first payment came right when the new school year was starting. The first deposit I got, we ran to the store and got stuff for school, and we were both really excited."