The economic shutdown due to COVID-19 has left many American families short on money and without jobs.

At the beginning this created chaos; everyone was rushing to the supermarkets and pharmacies to buy supplies, causing people to worry that they’ll run out of food to provide for their families and leaving some elderly people without much to buy for themselves.

Images of hundreds of cars waiting in long lines at food banks across the country have become a symbol of the crisis.

Since many stopped working due to COVID-19, many families were worried about how they were going to pay for their rent and scared of getting kicked out of their homes because of it.

Because of this, Congress voted in late March to send $1,200 to most American adults and $500 to children ages 16 and under.

This check did help many Americans in different ways, including getting to pay their rent, pay for medical issues, or getting to supply their families with things they need during this quarantine.

Although it’s not a lot of money for some, it’s something that people can use at the moment to provide themselves with anything they need or to even save for an emergency.