I have a chronic illness, so I work from home. My income is 1/3 of what it was in 2008. 

My husband works full time for a company he hates, who treats him like an indentured servant and pushes cheap products from foreign markets. He can’t sleep, can’t quit and has no other opportunities. 

In 2008, we were donating to the local food bank. Now we need their help to feed our three kids.

We regularly are forced to borrow money from our friends and family just to cover our basic living expenses. We live without television, eating out or any entertainment.

Our children are usually hungry, but they won’t starve-we hope.

What we pay for health insurance would provide the food we need, but we can not survive without the health insurance.

We can’t afford car insurance, so my husband will probably lose his driver’s license, but can’t afford not to drive to work.

We rely on charity to feed our dog, since we can’t afford to buy food for him and the children.

We make too much money to qualify for public assistance, but not enough to provide our needs.

We can’t afford to go to college to raise our skill level and worry that even if we did, we would only incur more debt we can’t pay.

We do not own a credit card or a house. Our car is 20 years old, falling apart and costs us a fortune in gasoline just to get my husband to work.

I am worth more to my family dead than alive.

We are the 99%.