MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — One in every three women in our workforce are deemed essential. Those essential workers range from nurses to office cleaners. Ana Rivera cleans offices in Montgomery County. Her experience during the pandemic has not been easy.
“Ana is on the front lines helping do that while trying to keep herself safe and her family safe,” Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass said.
On May 1, International Workers Day, Glass honored Rivera by presenting her with a formal council proclamation to honor the work she's done during the pandemic.
Rivera has faced more than her share of struggles during the coronavirus pandemic, starting with putting herself and family at risk every time she goes to work.
“At work, she only has two masks a week. And before (before those masks), she didn't have that (didn't have PPE). She couldn't find any at the pharmacies,” a translator for Rivera said.
Rivera’s concern with safety often begins before she gets to work.
“She's had panic attacks getting on buses because they’re packed, or sometimes they don't even stop they'll just pass her up leaving her with no other option but to take Ubers,” Rivera’s translator said.
A county interpreter said at one point she had a 105-degree fever, but was not able to take a COVID-19 test.
A big concern she said she had was getting her kids sick.
“She was trying to stay away from her children so that they wouldn't get infected too, but she woke up one night with the children, laying there beside her,” the translator said. “It’s an especially, very stressful time.”
A translator said Rivera’s kids experienced the same symptoms, despite all of her efforts to prevent her kids from being exposed.
“My heart goes out to you and to your family and to your co-workers because I know that you are putting yourself at risk, and you're putting your family at risk to do the work that the community and society is asking of you,” Glass told Rivera during a zoom call.
Glass honored Rivera with a proclamation, noting that she is the epitome of an essential worker.
“One-third of women in our workforce are deemed essential,” Glass said. “Meaning that they are the ones who are helping keep us fed by working in our grocery stores, and in other outlets, and they're also keeping our buildings clean so that for those who still have to go into the office they are doing so in a way that helps keep everybody clean and healthy and safe.”
According to the Pew Research Center, around half of Latino households have lost jobs or had pay cuts, or both.
Montgomery County Council has approved plans to provide ethnic and culturally appropriate food items for distribution in areas with high concentration of vulnerable populations as a way to help their Latino community.
The council has also approved funds for housing assistance.
RELATED: Montgomery County approves more than $20 million coronavirus funding for businesses, residents
To help mitigate the fact that not all Montgomery County bus riders have access to masks, Glass’s office worked to make sure free masks were available for all riders, according to a Montgomery County employee. This was a conversation that started after talking with Rivera.
So far 1,700 masks have been handed out and as of this weekend, cloth face masks should be available on all buses.