Gregoria Ramirez and Rodrigo Paniagua Garcia emigrated from the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico looking to build a life together and provide opportunities for their children. After arriving in the United States, they found steady work in the plentiful fields of Napa Valley.
But their many years of peaceful living began to tumble when Garcia became gravely ill. He was diagnosed with colon cancer and hospitalized in early 2020. When Ramirez fell ill with COVID-19, the family was unable to make rent or put food on the table consistently.
“Ever since he got sick, things have become much more difficult,” she said in Spanish. “Things were better when he was working and I was working.”
As Garcia’s health deteriorated, Ramirez had to decide between working or caring for her ailing husband.
She ultimately chose to make the daily trip to the nursing home where Garcia received attention after his discharge from Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center to deliver home-cooked meals. “He really did not like the food at the clinic,” Ramirez recalled. For roughly two years, she continued to split her time between work and caring for Garcia.
I (was) left so alone and needed to ask for help
Then, a few days after Christmas 2021, Garcia died.
Ramirez, 50, and son Rodrigo Jr., 19, were left stricken by grief — and in a precarious financial situation. Rent was due soon, and the family had fallen behind on payments.
Ramirez felt stuck in a constant, never-ending cycle of problems. Bills stacked up, and late fees on rent added to the surmounting expenses. Fears of being evicted grew.
Seeking help, the family found a social worker at the hospital where Garcia had received treatment.
“I (was) left so alone and needed to ask for help,” Ramirez said.
Hospitals generally close a file after a patient has passed away, but given the Ramirez household was on the cusp of eviction, case manager Maria Alfaro said Queen of the Valley made an exception. Alfaro, who also interpreted for Ramirez, introduced the family to The Chronicle’s Season of Sharing Fund. Queen of the Valley works with various aid organizations through the Care Network case management program to help Napa County residents with chronic health conditions to meet medical and financial needs.
The Season of Sharing Fund, meanwhile, works to combat homelessness and hunger in the Bay Area’s nine counties. All donations directly help people in need, with administrative costs covered by The Chronicle and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund.
“We connect our patients to community resources available to them,” Alfaro said. “Season of Sharing is one of the resources we use the most for rental assistance.”
When I received assistance from the program, I felt very calm, and I was able to see a solution
The family submitted their application for rent relief in late January. Aid arrived in February, helping the family pay for the previous month’s rent and the rent due for that month, making them up to date on their housing expenses.
“When I received assistance from the program, I felt very calm, and I was able to see a solution,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez returned to work in March and Rodrigo Jr. got a part-time job at a restaurant. They were able to cover their expenses and try to move forward.
But the brighter outlook for the family turned gray as the year wore on. Ramirez was unable to get work in the fields this fall and has not had success with temp agencies. “There are many people who applied for work ahead of me, and there are not enough jobs coming fast enough,” she said. Ramirez cleaned homes with a friend in October, but the inconsistency made it an unreliable source of income.
Meanwhile, the family’s landlord raised their rent from $1,875 to $2,000 in September. Rodrigo Jr. has considered quitting his classes at Napa Valley College to work full time in an effort to keep the family afloat, but Ramirez insists he shouldn’t quit his studies. Still, he could make the decision any day.
Ramirez hopes things will improve once she finds steady employment, ideally this winter when wineries need workers to prune vines.
“The fields are where we make enough to pay for rent and put food on the table,” she said.
Mario Cortez (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mario.cortez@sfchronicle.com