KCBA - Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz - News Weather-The New Face of Hunger
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Salinas Calif- Amber Lee is like thousands of young American women in California, she has a job and a place to live, but she goes to bed hungry almost every night,” Honestly I haven't been eating very much, food wise I probably eat one meal a day,” said Lee.
She works six days a week at a gas station, and she’s barley getting by pay check to pay check, “It would be a very big stress relief if I didn't have to worry about what about dinner, or I got to make sure I grab something because there’s nothing at home,” said Lee.
Amber would like to find another job, but focusing on the one she has is difficult when she’s working on an empty stomach, “I could probably focus on my job better if I didn't have worry about that stress. I’m worrying about the food and the other people in the household that I care about,” said Lee.
All three of Amber’s roommates are employed but food is still hard to come by, “Obviously we’re scrambling together to pay rent, and the electric and the water. But when it comes to food or gas or the little extra stuff that you don't have to have we’re struggling, it’s hard to get by,” said Lee.
Next week Amber and her friends will celebrate Thanksgiving, with the food she picked up at the Monterey County Food bank today. She says it’s important to give thanks, no matter what your situation is, “I'm healthy and I'm here, I'm alive,” said Lee.
