In 2020 we all learned another meaning of the term “essential workers.” These are the people we once took for granted but now rely on more than ever to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities running. When we think of essential workers, we tend to think immediately of doctors and nurses who continue to risk their lives and their family safety by caring for patients with Covid19 symptoms, the child care workers who took care of our children while we went to work, the restaurant workers and retail clerks who made it possible for us to get our food and supplies.

Unemployment is nearly always an unpleasant and disorienting experience. You feel rejected and despondent because it feels like you as a person no longer have a role --you no longer fit and it makes you feel as what you have to contribute is no longer important. It is not easy to feel this way particularly in a society that so values people according to their salary and their ability to afford a middle-class lifestyle. You wonder when you will ever be able to support yourself as you worry about where the next dollar is coming from.