Healthy Disruptions: Basic Needs

In this episode, we look at how the pandemic affected our basic needs. How do we meet them? What happens when meeting your basic needs puts your life at risk? And we challenge what is a basic need by asking are basic needs merely just food, water, and shelter? Or things? We provide some memorable stories shared with us around basic needs as well include our own feelings and experiences of meeting our basic needs. 

Hosts: Amy Dao, Michelle Burroughs, Alejandro Echeverria 

Transcript

Amy: When we asked people how they knew we were in a pandemic, many told us it was the sight of empty shelves at the store. Those first few months of 2020 were all about panic buying and hoarding. Toilet paper, flour, canned goods, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies flew off the shelves. Stores were forced to ration these essential supplies. Scenes at the grocery store were described to us as apocalyptic, like from a movie where you could feel the progression of panic. Even employees at the store were afraid: 

[insert grocery sounds? Check out counter sounds? Help Alejandro!]

Quote SBC07/DA01:  I specifically work the backroom and I would supply the shelves so we started the increase in water being delivered and toilet paper but it would be gone in the same day. So that’s when we started to get a little more serious umm how this was going to affect our day to day lives."

Well today on our program, we look at how the pandemic affected our basic needs. Like for instance, what do you do when someone you know can’t meet a basic need? What happens when meeting your basic needs puts your life at risk? And are basic needs merely just food, water, and shelter? Or things? 

We’ll be answering these questions through the stories people told us about their basic needs during the pandemic.

I’m Amy Dao. Anthropologist, professor, cat mom, and now mom to a new little human. I’m interested in how social conditions shape our health

I am Alejandro Echeverria. A phd canadiate in anthropology and a lifelong queer resident of Fontana. 

And I’m Michelle Burroughs, a passionate public health professional, health equity advocate and a resident of the Inland Empire for over 20 years. 

And we’ll be your hosts for this episode of Healthy Disruption

[Episode Intro Music playing - Alejandro & Sahar]

Act One: Desperation (Amy)

At the beginning of the pandemic, it was hard to get the things we needed to live and stay safe. I want to tell you what these empty shelves meant for a 26 year old woman named Angie, who identifies as latinx and native american. She's a social worker and new mom to an infant daughter. 

Michelle: Amy, you mentioned you’re a new mom too right?

Amy: Yeah, so her story really resonated with me because I could relate to the worries she felt about providing for her newborn and the shock she felt as we transitioned into the pandemic. Angie had her child a few months before the pandemic started. Let me tell you, those first few postpartum weeks and months are a weird time--If you're lucky enough or if you have the ability to take parental leave, you're living in this cocoon where time has no meaning because you're providing 24 hour care,  you're sleep deprived, and you're experiencing emotional highs and lows. So here she is coming out of this cocoon into a totally different world. Angie had only been back at work from parental leave for a week when shelter in place orders started. She noticed all her clients stockpiling canned goods. seeing so many empty shelves scared her so much that she decided her family better start stocking up too. Instead of a big box store, they went to the 99 cent store, where they experienced some extreme desperation.

00:10:14.160 -->  00:10:50.520

"Angie Hic: They were closing the doors at eight. So you needed to get in line by a certain amount because you know they were going to They were closing. So, like, people started like trying to put everything they could in their carts and, you know, me and my I went with my mother in law and My sister in law. We put everything that we could in the, in the cart, anything that we could find because there was hardly anything anymore at that point. And when we were paying. We're going to pay already. The they came in, they had a guns, and they just took everything they wanted from everyone's cards including mine and they just robbed the place."

Amy: It was at that moment of being robbed at gunpoint that Angie realized the months ahead would be rough.

00:03:48.570 --> 00:04:03.720

So when that happened, and and i'm in Hemet you know that that was serious to me because Hemet is pretty quiet. You don't really see that kind of stuff. So when that that had happened. I felt like you know this is going to be chaotic.

Amy: The chaos that she feared was not only for herself.

00:11:18.930 --> 00:11:30.210

Angie:  "I was a brand new mom. I had just had a baby. I was trying to get the for my kids, you know, because now it's not just taking care of me. Or my husband. Now it's the children. And you know, I felt, I had felt like I had failed them at that time. "

Amy: even before the pandemic, the guilt around whether or not a baby is eating enough, or getting enough love or developing appropriately is a major source of pain for parents—especially new parents. The pandemic made things worse as parents were stretched thin in so many ways from trying to care for children while working from home, dealing with the uncertainty of childcare or being forced to work in risky conditions when children at home couldn't be vaccinated. At the beginning, the inability to even get food to put on the table or to buy PPE to protect vulnerable children made parents feel helpless.

Not only was Angie pandemic parenting,  she also got a glimpse of how the pandemic made it hard for other new parents. At her job as social worker, Angie works primarily with young parents between the ages of 11 and 18 years old. Many of them are single parents who were experiencing financial distress so they got their basic needs met through WIC, a government funded program that supports the health and nutrition of Women, Infants, and Children. When Angie learned that the pandemic had made it difficult for her clients to feed their newborns, she did an amazing thing:

00:04:59.190 --> 00:05:09.480

Angie Hic: You know the pandemic, people were buying everything. So then the people with WIC, who could only afford stuff with the label WIC couldn't find the stuff that they needed, which was very difficult. And even like WICs for some reason, a lot of them were closed. So a lot of my clients were having a hard time getting like formula, Diapers, wipes, to the point that I started giving up my my frozen milk to my clients.”

Angie: “At first, they were hesitant. But they took it because It, it took longer than expected to kind of hear back from WIC from a lot of the offices for some reason. ...

00:05:52.080 --> 00:06:01.770

Angie Hic: Fortunately, I was able to give for breast milk to my clients but you know that was like the most desperate points for a lot of them, you know, a lot of them did not want my breastmilk, they didnt find it too. Oh, they found it like a gross you know they're they were grossed out. But you know once things started getting a little bit Tight with especially because formula’s expensive and WiC wasn't responding. They weren't getting their stuff. They weren't--they wouldn't--I don't know what happened. the office's closed and they wouldn't respond. You know, I had to give them breastmilk.

Amy: when we talk about basic needs, there’s nothing more basic for an infant than breastmilk or formula. It’s really the only recommended thing you can feed your children before they are 6 months old. As we’re recording this right now in May 2022, there’s a shortage in formula due to supply issues and recall of contaminated formula and the shutdown of a US major formula producer. Some parents have taken desperate measures by diluting formula to make supplies last, which means that infants are ending up in the ER at risk for life threatening seizures. The Biden Administration has invoked the Defense Production Act to ramp up domestic manufacturing and the White House is bringing in overseas formula through Operation Fly Formula. 

For Angie to share her breast milk with her clients during an especially difficult time was life saving and life giving.

Oftentimes when we think about basic needs, we think about stuff: food items, household items, shelter--but it times of crisis, when the stuff we need cannot be bought, or when our institutions fail to provide, it’s the human relationships that help pull us through.

Act Two:  (Alejandro)

Ale: I like that. Thinking about how many people during the pandemic relied on their families, friends as relationships to help one another get through this difficult time. 

Amy: Why do you say difficult?  

Ale: Insane, cuz while I was going through some of the stories and experiences around basic needs. I grew interested in some topics I noticed. But what I gravitated were comments made about transportation or moving around place to place getting their basic needs.

Amy: I feel you. I sensed some personal interests in some topics. Why did you decide on transportation and movement? 

Ale: when people talk about Southern California. People talk about how hard it is to get around. How horrible traffic and the freeways are. It's no joke, you need a car to get around and by in Southern California. But what people don’t say often is just how bad the bus systems are here. Maybe in some parts it makes sense to not have a car, you can get there by walking or metro or the buses. But not where I grew up. 

I grew up in the Inland Empire and I took the bus for my first two years of undergrad at UCR. Although I lived in Fontana and still do, Riverside was only 20 minutes away driving. But for the bus, it would take me 2-3 hrs each way to get to school and back. It was a rough time. So reading these stories of some individuals dealing with the pandemic and how they navigated around and got their basic needs. Some accounts resonated with me. 

Michelle: Yes, the public transit is super bad here. Can we hear one of them? 

Ale: Yeah, let's take a listen. 

“Yeah they do things. They don't let so many people on the bus. You know, they put on some corner, notice that Don't sit here and they got one seat open, you know, and to have them with the signs on it, you know. And then if it's too many people, they just pass you up. Stop and say it's too crowded, so we can't let you on the bus.” [LAL21]

Michelle: I remember you sharing this one with us. 

Ale:  Yes, now I know it’s a short segment but this individual is from South LA and during this time he was experiencing homelessness and came from the Southern California Library. As I heard this observation, I thought of the feeling of waiting on the side of the road waiting for the bus in the distance. Its route runs across the top heading and the conductor drives with a face mask on. Imagined as the half-filled bus approaches, the doors open and the driver says they can’t let you on board cuz they are at full capacity. 

Amy: I would feel hesitant getting on any bus during a pandemic. Especially, when the early news talked about social distancing and staying away from enclosed places with lots of people. And the mask mandates. People were afraid of the air. 

Michelle: Yes, I wouldn’t feel safe in a bus or the metro. I couldn’t put myself and loved ones at risk. 

Ale: Oh most definitely. I remember that’s how the news would be and lots of people were very careful out in public. They made sure to socially distance themselves. Well, most folks. I do recall some who just went on as though nothing was different. But individuals who didn’t have personal transportation like a car to go to the store, work, or school, going on the bus was, I am sure, a daily risk that they had to take. 

Michelle: I noticed the man stated that the buses came with yellow tape and signs on the seats. Those were meant for public safety. That was an interesting thing right. I noticed it at the beginning of the pandemic. Stores and businesses were sectioning off whole tables and seating with signs and tape. 

Amy: Yeah. And the limited capacity thing was really hard to get used to. Like people had to wait in lines outside to get inside a store and basic things and errands just took longer to do. I didn’t like that at all. 

Ale: I know the signs and tape were placed there to get people to social distance on the bus and slow down the chances of getting infected, but on a bus? I felt that this was kind of off and very scary. Cuz in a bus, the windows are not always openable and they do have air filters and conditioners inside the cabin. But somehow I don’t know how low your chances of getting covid were in an enclosed space. I think that sme news said we were questioning just how long it would take to get infected from someone else in open and enclosed places. Like the store vs the sidewalk. But having both limited capacity and some seating closed off, this hit riders the hardest. This individual shared that people would get passed. And I can imagine some folks experienced this often. Hoping that the bus arrives soon at their bus stop. And then just getting the sign that they can't get onboard. They just missed their connection and were late for work. Or they would have to go ask a friend for a ride or get up earlier just in case the bus was packed. 

I remember taking this one bus route, the 215, from San Bernardino Omnitrans to Riverside RTA was always packed full of people. People knew they relied on this line to connect them to their second or third bus to work or school. So during the pandemic, I am sure people dreaded getting passed by due to the limited capacity and closed seating health measures and initiatives to slow down the infection rate and cases. 

Amy: Although very annoying, these health measures did help. Like going to the store. But they weren’t practical for public transit. 

Michelle: No, not at all. And I am sure not everyone followed them either. Although well intended, it created some unexpected challenges for many as they navigated around meeting their basic needs.

Ale: Yeah. With life during the pandemic is already straining, how much more strain does public transport put on people’s lives? How do delays and bus passings affect someone’s well being? Does this put them in a situation of losing their job? How are the families affected by these health measures on public transport? These are some of the questions that went through my mind while going through these testimonies of moving around and meeting basic needs. 

Looking back, seeing the pandemic through how people moved and got around to meet their basic needs showed me just how complex the feeling of being around others was. Moving from place to place, whether due to work, getting groceries or seeking medical services really showed how we are always around others. And connected to one another. Movement may put some folks in riskier situations than others. And created a sense of paranoia. Especially in tight spaces. In all, I learned that moving places and navigating around the pandemic revealed just how much we rely and are connected to others. 

Act Three: (Michelle)

What’s a basic need? How do people define those differently?

And how has the pandemic affected our needs… as well as how we were able to meet them?

When we think of basic needs, we traditionally think of our need for food and shelter. What about our need for human interaction as a basic need? When we first received Governor Newsom’s mandate on March 13, 2020, to shelter at home. Many of us were confused, we didn’t really understand what that meant. Then as the days turned into weeks, the anxiety started to creep in. I remember family, friends, and colleagues especially my elders and those that are single stating, “I need to get out and see other people, the walls are closing in, I need a hug, I miss my friends and family members.” As humans’ social interaction is essential to our well-being. Research shows that having a strong network of support or strong community bonds fosters both emotional and physical health. 

The story that resonated with me the most is the about a caregiver for the elderly. Before COVID-19 they were their elderly clients’ companion, they visited and shopped with them. Once COVID-19 hit, they had to single handedly do all the shopping, for food, toilet paper, water, and basic hygiene items. And most times they couldn’t find the items they were asked to purchase, even after going to multiple stores.

Amy: Oh no what would the caregiver do, would they call their client or drive back to where they were?

Michelle: Yes, and they would let them know, "hey, I can't find what you need, do you want to do without, or do you want me to keep looking?" And some clients, would say, "yes keep looking." Others would say, "well, I have to go without, can you go try again try again tomorrow or next week."

Alejandro: Wow, that must have been stressful for the caregiver not to be able to interact with their clients or help them get the things they needed.

Michelle: Yeah, the caregiver recalled, one client eating beans from a can 3 weeks in a row, because that is all they had.  

Amy: (sigh) That is so sad….

Michelle: It is, but what’s even sadder, was their need to stay safe outweighed their desire for social interaction. The fear of potentially being exposed to COVID-19, freighted them, so much that they requested their items be left at the door for fear of catching COVID-19. They were terrified of getting sick and ending up in the hospital.

Amy: I can only image how hard that must have been for the caregiver and their elderly clients.

Michelle: The caregiver said she saw the look of worry on her clients faces as they peered through their windows, waiting for her to leave the items and drive away. Thinking about them locking eyes gives me chills as I can picture how bad they both must have felt.   

Alejandro: I know you can relate, as I remember you mentioning that you would not be able to make your trip to see your father in Washington.

Michelle: Absolutely, I share the caregiver’s feeling of distress. It was agonizing not being able to lay eyes on my father and connect with him, especially when I could hear the sadness in his voice and the depression setting in from being isolated at home for months. He’s very social and loves to be out and about. I felt helpless, worried that if the shelter at home mandate continued how would he survive.

Amy: What would you say you learned from that experience?

Michelle: I developed a deeper appreciation of the ability to share time with friends and family, and I appreciate the importance of engagement, love and support, I believe we all desire and need. As humans we all crave contact, not having that heightened many peoples stress levels and made it hard for them to cope and thus impacted not only their mental but physical health.

I have realized as COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, I’m more intentional about making time for my friends, family, and colleagues. I now leave my office to eat lunch, (pause) I know that sounds like a simple thing, but I now cherish that time to laugh and enjoy the company of others. I make sure my face-to-face interactions, are times spent with people that I love and bring me joy.  I invite you to join me…let’s be intentional about maintaining a good state of mental and physical wellbeing and stay connected, after all this is a basic human need!