The CARES Act was a welcome lifeline for vulnerable families caught in the destruction of a worldwide pandemic. I know this because we are one of the families. I am also aware not everyone who received Federal Pandemic Assistance from the CARES Act and PPP loans has acted ethically in their assistance requests. I assure you my family has no place in this latter group. My fiance and I each received assistance from the CARES Act last year because we each lost our own businesses in completely separate industries. Before the pandemic we were just another entrepreneurial family, running our businesses, supporting ourselves, and never once requesting any government assistance. As the unknown virus ravaged the world, we became one of the countless American families watching our hard work and livelihoods wiped away in front of our eyes as the entire world shut down. For my family, the CARES Act was the safety net that saved us from the pandemic. Offering us the financial injection we needed to successfully navigate 2020, the CARES Act gave my family hope at a time when the entire world felt lost, helped manage the fear of a year filled with nothing but uncertainty, and gave us the luxury of time to figure out our situation while the rest of the world panicked. For my family the CARES Act was much more than just a cash distribution, it was a genuine helping hand at a time when we unexpectedly needed it most.
