Born in Mexico, Jennifer arrived in America when she was nine years old.
Her family settled in Chester County, where work was bountiful in the mushroom industry and elsewhere.
Since then, she’s pursued the American Dream, building her family here with her high school sweetheart, who she married. They first met in Kennett Square. The couple have four children.
The youngest, a four-year-old daughter, attends Tick Tock Early Learning Center in Toughkenamon, New Garden Township.
Still, life is full of challenges for Jen and her husband as they work full-time to provide for their children. The couple rents a two-bedroom apartment in Oxford, that’s all they can afford, Jen said, whose real name is withheld to protect her privacy.
Part of the working poor, Jen and her husband make slightly too much to receive financial assistance. Yet, what they make isn’t enough to thrive, just get by, with major sacrifices made constantly.
“We live paycheck-to-paycheck,” Jen said. “It’s really hard.”
Jen’s family falls into the ALICE category, which is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed. People who are part of the ALICE population struggle to afford basic expenses including transportation, food and housing yet they earn above the federal poverty line so cannot receive assistance. They are considered particularly vulnerable to economic instability, according to the United Way.
“There’s time where we have to figure out if we are paying a bill, or are we going to buy food,” Jen said.
Jen’s children’s ages range between four and 18. They have two girls and two boys.
In terms of high gas prices, she said, “We try not to go anywhere that isn’t essential, so that the gas can last for the whole week.”
Besides restricting their movements to save on gas money, Jen said often she and her husband don’t eat to ensure there is enough food for the children. “They come first,” she said.
Typically, Jen spends $480 on food to last during the first two weeks of the month. After that, it’s about buying essentials only, and the focus is solely on feeding the children.
As renters, there isn’t enough money to save for emergencies.
“Everything is so expensive,” she said, adding her family can’t afford a rental that costs $2,000 or more because that would take the family’s entire collective monthly paycheck.
Right now, the family doesn’t have any spare money for holiday gifts or even a special feast on December 25.
Still, “it doesn’t matter what is under the Christmas tree, as long as we are together,” she said.
Jen expressed thanks to everyone supporting Operation Holiday this fall and winter.
A Catholic, she said she will never give up despite the struggle of living paycheck-to-paycheck.
“My faith and my family inspire me. I have to keep going.”
HISTORY
Operation Holiday was started in 1991 at The Mercury in Pottstown to help families going through tough times provide something for their children during the holidays. The mission of the program is to make sure there is food on the table and gifts under the tree when Christmas morning comes.
Now in its 34th year, the program has served thousands of families throughout Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, expanding its reach in recent years to include communities served by Reading News, The Times Herald, The Reporter, and Daily Local News.
Nearly $90,000 in donations last year provided food and gifts for 419 children and 184 families, plus cash donations to food pantries in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
This year, Operation Holiday has partnered with 17 agencies in the tri-county area. Agencies have referred 189 families with 366 children for gifts and food.
There is no overhead with Operation Holiday and all funds stay local. Funds are collected and audited in a non-profit foundation account managed by staff of readingnews.us newspapers who volunteer their time.
Gift cards to area grocery stores are provided to each family for food, so that they can purchase the fixings for a holiday dinner as well as staples for the pantry. Weis Markets is a partner with Operation Holiday and has assisted with food purchases and gift cards.
Gift cards for every child in the program 16 years of age or younger are purchased through Boscov’s and distributed in partnership with the referring agencies so that families can purchase gifts of their choice.
Operation Holiday does not accept families who have not been referred by an agency.
Operation Holiday is funded solely by reader contributions. All contributions are tax deductible.
HOW TO DONATE
Online donations are being accepted in a secure portal in partnership with TriCounty Community Network. Visit https://tcnetwork.org/ and click on the link for Operation Holiday.
Contributions can be mailed with checks payable to Operation Holiday to PO Box 1181, Pottstown PA 19464; The Reporter, 34 Susquehanna Ave., Ste. 100, Lansdale PA 19446; Operation Holiday, 1440 Lacrosse Ave., Reading, PA 19607.
The names of all contributors are published in the participating newspapers as donations are received. Please note whether a contribution should be designated as anonymous or given in tribute or in memory of someone.