Maria Irma Villela

Maria Villela knows many of the obstacles her family faces are because she belongs to a group of people known as the working poor. As a janitor for One Source, Maria earns a meager $5.15 an hour.

When Maria talks with neighborhood friends she sees that she's not the only one who can't provide her kids with the basics. "We want to get ahead but we can't--we're stuck," she says. "It affects the entire community." Her son Jose, like others, left school when he was 16 after her husband got sick in order to work and help support the family financially.

Maria lives in a rough neighborhood and fears for her three daughters' safety. Her 15-year-old daughter dropped out of school for a year because she was afraid of the gang violence. Maria doesn't feel her younger daughters are safe in her neighborhood either. "They are always locked up indoors and can't go outside and play," she says. "They miss out on friends and companionship. They're like birds in a cage."

Maria dreams of being able to buy a house for her family. In the meantime, there are immediate bills she can't afford. "Sometimes we can't pay for rent. Sometimes it's the electric bill and we can only pay for half. The kids need clothing and shoes for school, but we just can't buy it." Maria would also love to buy a computer for her kids' studies but says if she buys it she won't be able to feed the family.

Juana Puente, Maria's mother, is visiting from Mexico to help out with the children. She's concerned about her daughter's situation. "Life is hard for immigrants who come here to work. The sacrifices they make when they come here--even risking their lives in the desert where they can be killed or die of thirst or hunger--they sacrifice for the future of their children."

Maria is hopeful about how a union contract will help her family improve their lives. "Winning a good contract would help us get ahead and provide for the girls."