b'SEPTEMBER 2020Financial Support Comes Just In Time Manuel Lopez Gomez, who goes by Seor Manuel (name has been changed), lives and works on a farm in Pescadero. The 60-year-old knew right away that the pandemic was going to hurt his bottom line when his employer started losing orders. He and his colleagues at the farm were semi-furloughed for weeks; told to work fewer hours or not come in at all until business picked back up. The CZU Fire evacuations added to even more days without work, and then he got Covid-19. Seor Manuel estimates that he lost about a month and a halfs worth of regular work hours. Things would have been far worse for Seor Manuel had heSeor Manuel attending the weekly not received financial support through Puente. PuenteLa Sala program. Seor Manuel asistiendo al programa provided two rounds of $500 for any adult not eligible for thesemanal de La Sala.federal stimulus. Manuel received two checks, totaling $1,000. When Seor Manuel got sick with COVID,he had to self-isolate for two weeks. Not being able to shop or work, he reached out to Puente for assistance. More than 298 Puente participants received this kind of aid directly from Puente, along with help to pay rent and utilities. All I can say is that Im really thankful, Seor Manuel 298 says. I feel protected by Puente.households received direct aid checks from Puentes own stimulus funds for a total of $221,745. 8'