A Gen Xer who barely lives above the poverty line sells plasma to cover her rent because she doesn't qualify for government assistance: 'There's a lot of praying and just hanging on.'

Tue, 05/21/2024 - 05:27

Woman donating blood — Lisa Kelley (not pictured) is low-income but does not qualify for government assistance. She sometimes sells her plasma to make ends meet.
WC.GI / Getty Images

Lisa Kelley, 47, lives above the poverty line but struggles to afford rent and medicine.
She was working as a security guard for $15 an hour, but unexpectedly lost her job in May.
ALICEs like Kelley live paycheck to paycheck but don't qualify for government assistance.

Lisa Kelley, 47, lives in an apartment in Cincinnati with her mother. Money is tight, and she often has to decide which bills to pay on time and which to delay — at the risk of their electricity or internet getting shut off.