VOA常速英语:As COVID-19 Surges in US, Low-Income Families Brace for Winter

Picking up donations at the Salvation Army and other charity organizations has become essential for Erika Sanchez,
对Erika Sanchez来说，在救世军和其他慈善组织募集捐款已经变得至关重要，
a cash poor mother of three in washington D.C.
她是华盛顿一位有三个孩子的贫困母亲，
Right now its helping us a lot because we dont have means to buy jackets, boots.
现在这帮了我们很多，因为我们没有办法买夹克、靴子。
So we come here and they give them to us.
所以我们来到这里，他们给了我们一些物资。
The Mexican-born prep cook was laid off when the restaurants she used to work at closed thanks to COVID-19.
这位墨西哥出生的预备厨师以前在餐馆工作，餐馆因为COVID-19而关闭，她就失业了。
She found part-time work collecting trash at an office building but can barely make ends meet.
她在一幢办公楼找到了一份捡拾垃圾的兼职工作，但几乎入不敷出。
I used to earn 13 dollars an hour in my day job;
我以前工作每小时挣13美元;
now I earn 16 dollars and 10 cents an hour but only work four hours.
现在我每小时挣16美元零10美分，但只工作4个小时。
So I can feel the difference.
所以我能感觉出来以前的工作的重要性。
The Salvation Armys spokesman Major Srikant Bhatngar said,
救世军发言人Srikant Bhatngar少校说，
that with new unemployment claims nearing 800,000 a week, community needs are surging.
因为不断有新的失业申请，已接近80万，社区每周的需求正在激增。
We are a rich country but people is here also in the United States dont have food,dont have place to go out of pandemic,
我们是一个富裕的国家，但这里的人们在美国也没有食物，因为疫情没有地方可去，
because no job is available and people is suffering right now.
因为没有工作可做，人们现在正在受苦。
Hit with income cuts, many Americans arent paying their utility bills.
由于收入减少，许多美国人都不付水电费。
The piled up debt is 24 billion dollars, say Energy Aid Organizations.
能源援助组织说，债务累计达240亿美元。
Customers who cant get relief risk getting cut off in the cold winter.
无法得到救济的客户在寒冷的冬天面临被切断的风险。
That has charities distributing winter coats in high gear.
那里的慈善机构正忙着分发冬衣。
But they too are struggling against the pandemic.
但他们也在与疫情作斗争。
The largest percentage of core drives that happen every year are employee engagement core drives.
每年发生的最大比例的核心驱动是员工敬业度核心驱动。
So many companies are still working remotely.
许多公司仍在远程办公。
So right now we are down by 56 percent of core drives that were happening at this time last year.
现在我们的核心驱动比去年同期下降了56%。
Its not only warm apparel thats in need, says Jackie Hortmann Didio,
Jackie Hortmann Didio说，需要的不仅仅是保暖的衣服，
whose noNPRofit provides free education to preschool kids in Alexandria Virginia.
这家非营利组织为弗吉尼亚州亚历山大市的学龄前儿童提供免费教育。
Usually we would serve about 15 percent of families,
通常我们会为15%的家庭服务，
with things like rental assistance or different opportunities to access food and supplies and internet,
通过租赁援助或获得食物、供应品和互联网的不同机会，
but now we see that just growing up so much that so many people need those additional services.
但现在我们看到，发展为很多人都需要这些额外的服务。
And if the cold weather worsens the health crisis as some scientists expect,
如果像一些科学家预计的那样，寒冷的天气加剧了健康危机，
There could be new layoffs.
可能会有新的裁员。
That worries parents like Esau Munoz who works as a chef.
这让像厨师Esau Munoz这样的父母感到担忧。
The truth is that the restaurants numbers are down.
事实是，这家餐厅的营业额在下降。
People dont want to go out especially now that we again have to close at 8 pm.
人们不想出去，尤其是现在，我们又要在晚上八点关门。
At 9 we stopped selling alcohol.
9点我们就停止卖酒了。
So its had a very negative impact.
所以它产生了非常负面的影响。
Until the virus is under control, he doesnt expect the restrictions to end.
在病毒得到控制之前，他不希望限制措施结束。
Munoz is bracing for a long and uneasy winter season.
Munoz正准备迎接一个漫长而艰难的冬季。
Veronica Balderas Iglesias for VOA news Washington
VOA新闻，Veronica Balderas Iglesias华盛顿报道