Category: American Stories

Kay Aikin, Small Business Owner

I own a small startup technology company that was in the process of securing millions in venture capital when my spouse and business partner died late last fall. We reorganized and started the negotiations again and then COVID hit. Now my company is at risk of shutting down in July when we run out of […]

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Robert Olori, Small Business Owner

They told us to social distance so the hospitals wouldn’t get overwhelmed. They aren’t overwhelmed and yet we are told to stay home.  They sent our kids home from school, so we kept them home, and now school will not reopen.  We had to close our art gallery that had just been open for its […]

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Doug Bonestroo, South Carolina

My wife was furloughed April 1st and the state of South Carolina is denying her claim for unemployment even though she has worked for the same large US corporation for the past 10 years. They don’t answer the phones and we have little confidence we will see any money from the state. It is now […]

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Henry Trollinger, Personal Trainer

I’m employed by Lifetime Fitness as a personal trainer and have been furloughed since March 16th. I think a sensible approach to reopening our state/country would be to allow the individuals who are not at high risk to go back to work while maintaining social distancing practices, hand washing, masks and limiting numbers of people […]

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Daniel G. Murphy, MD, Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Barnabas Hospital, The Bronx, NY

From the NY Post Article: “I’ve Worked the Coronavirus Front Line and I Say it’s Time to Start Opening Up“ I’m an emergency physician at St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx. I have been in the ER every day these last few weeks, either supervising or providing direct care. I contracted a COVID-19 infection very […]

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Lucas, Business Owner, Las Vegas

10 Years in Business. Covid-19 cut our Business to a third of the previous year. Being a local plumbing company in Las Vegas for over 10 years we had steady service plumbing work. In March, Governor Sisolak announced far-ranging closures that shut down all “non-essential” business activity. We, a plumbing company, are considered essential. However, […]

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Tim VanVranken, Business Owner

Hi I own a business and we have tried applying for the business loans and no luck no one has contacted us back. I also had a friend of mine who does the same business as me committed suicide a few weeks ago, I spoke to him 2 days before it happened. He was worried […]

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Sheri E Benedetto, Washington, NC

I left my eye glasses out and my dog got a hold of them and chewed them so they could not be repaired . I called MY EYE DOCTOR in Washington, NC to get myself a new pair of eye glasses. I have a eye problem called keratoconus it is where your cornea is flat.  […]

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Jennifer, Self-Employed Business Owner/Dog Trainer in Colorado

    As a small business owner in Colorado, I have watched the fear of this virus (mind you – I say the ‘fear of the virus,’ not the virus itself) devastate our economy, our trust in each other, and most importantly – our freedom.     I have watched as each week, restrictions issued by both elected and […]

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Cindy, Mother of ICU COVID Worker

My daughter is part of ICU COVID team. Its a bad virus but we must get back to work. I have some ideas (in assembly line work environments, this might work): Antibody test workforce and strategically place immune employees between non-immune to minimize spread in the event of an infected employee. Bathrooms must be cleaned […]

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Tracy, Small Business Owner, Summerville, SC

I own a formal wear store and I have been in business for 23 years. March is peak season when I am in possession of my highest amount of accounts payable because it’s peak Prom sale season and my store had to close. I closed when the President first recommended it to help mitigate infection […]

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Shane Robertson, Small Business Owner, Tulsa, OK

Our family owns a tire and auto store chain in Tulsa, OK that employs 160 people.   Business has remained steady enough, with the help of the PPP loan, to remain open and keep everyone employed.  But one surprising thing is how many of our employees have filed for unemployment anyway.  They are claiming they filed […]

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Wanda Valik, Small Business Owner, Syracuse, NY

I’m a sole proprietor of 2 businesses in Syracuse NY. I’m 59 and a COVID 19 survivor before anyone knew what the virus was. I don’t for a second believe shutting down our country & taking away our civil liberties for the sake of public safety, was necessary for an illness that 98% of people […]

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Keith Sikora, DDS, Dentist, Northern Michigan

I’m a dentist in a small rural town in Northern Michigan. We do not have the virus here. My dental practice is closed by Executive Order of Gov. Whitmer for a month now and for another 2 weeks to go. I’ve applied for the EIDL – no $$$ yet. I cannot get any bank to […]

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Anonymous, Hospital Employee, Syracuse, NY

I work at a hospital in Syracuse, NY.  We had to prepare for the Surge to come for the COVID virus.  So far the surge has never come.  Our hospital which is owned by Trinity Health Care, has a census so low that we are now being asked to either take furlough or our hours are […]

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Jessica, Executive, Hospitality Industry

My husband and I are both executive leaders in the hospitality industry. We are both now furloughed due to the COVID-19 impact. My hotel is completely closed, his is barely making it. With no return date promised to us. We have two BABIES to look and care after. Get us back to work! 

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Andrei, American Worker

I was laid off 1 month ago, my wife’s new job canceled training due to the Outbreak. I have NOT been able to look for work or being re hired due to all these ” Shelter in place” orders… My American dream is about to be shattered. I have been watching news and my heart […]

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Chana Burton, Small Business Owner, El Paso, TX

My husband and I run a small business in El Paso, Texas, we employ over 20 people, impacting over 45 with just our employee families.  We work hard even now making a difference for our clients, but this stay at home order has become criminal, unjust, and destructive to our local economy and citizens. We […]

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Robert Shapiro, Arborist, West Village, NY

From the NY Post Article: “Meet the New Yorkers who lost their jobs because of coronavirus“ Shapiro was making $200 a day for Branching Out Tree Services, a city subcontractor. He is also an animal rescuer and state-licensed wildlife rehabilitator. “For six years, I was supervising construction crews that were doing construction around trees to […]

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Kryshana De Herrera, Waiter, Bushwick, NY

From the NY Post Article: “Meet the New Yorkers who lost their jobs because of coronavirus“ De Herrera, who has been working in the restaurant industry since she was a teen, has been let go from Bâtard in Tribeca, where her front-waiter job paid about $1,500 a week. Her rent is $1,040. She lives with […]

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