For 20 years, Ana Karen Gonzales and her family made their living working in restaurants in Fort Wayne.
The hardworking immigrant family that included her mother, father and brother made enough to cover rent, utilities and other expenses, but in March they all lost their jobs due to the coronavirus.
The family found themselves without income and shut out from relief including unemployment and the federal government’s stimulus checks, even though they pay U.S. taxes through a tax identification number.
Gonzales was one of about a dozen panelists Thursday evening who appeared in a virtual meeting hosted by Faith In Indiana on both Zoom and Facebook Live.
