Medical imaging eventually showed that he had a herniated disk. Arriaga reported back to work but was unable to perform his duties, and he was eventually let go. He is currently searching for work that can accommodate his bad back. Since losing his job, he has been receiving disability payments.

Castro works at a nearby hotel supervising housekeeping, but her hours were cut due to a lull in business last autumn. The couple’s two high school-aged children sought part-time jobs to help with expenses, but Castro encouraged them to focus on school.

Instead, she took on a job at a grocery store and now works seven days a week — five with shifts at both workplaces. “I told Saul not to worry. When we got married, we swore that we were together in sickness and in health,” Castro said.

Still, it wasn’t enough to keep up with debt and expenses, which crept past $10,000 just months after Arriaga lost his job. The couple decided to sell the family’s two cars to try to catch up. Castro’s commute went from a 10-minute drive to more than an hour if she misses a bus transfer. Arriving late to work could turn an already busy day overwhelming. “I felt like I was submerged,” she said. 

With pressure mounting, Castro sought help from the Pacifica Resource Center, a nonprofit that connects locals in need of aid with services and financial programs. Case worker Angela Picado directed the family to the Season of Sharing Fund, which in September paid for two months of the family’s rent. “It was a great relief when I heard that we were approved for this aid,” Castro said. “I thanked God.”