MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
In today's journal from an essential worker, we are hearing from a man named Jonny (ph). Because of his immigration status, NPR is not broadcasting his last name. The coronavirus pandemic led him to a job cleaning a grocery store. After all, his house cleaning clients canceled.
JONNY: Cleaning is my therapy. I love to do that, especially when my clients and they say, we don't need to tell you what you have to do. That's the keys. That's your house. And you know what are you doing. When I received a text message saying, Jonny, you are a part of our family. And I'm going to send you a check (ph). The payment from this week, I want you to stay home.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
JONNY: I applied for cleaning a grocery store during the night after they close. That's the only little income that I have. And the job that I'm doing right now, I had to clean everything, even (unintelligible) the floors. We have to take a lot of precautions right now. I don't want to be bring the virus, you know, home.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
JONNY: My husband, we share the house. When all the crisis started here in Seattle, Wash., he get laid off from where he work. After that, we don't have a big income.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
JONNY: I wish for everybody that we (unintelligible) in good health because this life is the most beautiful experience that we have here on earth.
KELLY: Seattle house cleaner Jonny. He now has a job cleaning a grocery store after hours. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.