CHARLOTTE — Like so many families, Janine Bettis and her five children are displaced, but she considers herself and her children fortunate. They live with her parents, so they have a roof over their heads, food and a bed to sleep in at night.
"It’s a lot of us that have to come and live with my elderly parents," Bettis said. "But we’re blessed, because the situation could have been different."
She said it’s been a transition with the kids learning from home. At one point, some of her kids were sharing a Chromebook and though they have Wi-Fi, it’s been slow.
>> We’ll bring you LIVE updates on Channel 9 Eyewitness News. Get extended coverage on the free WSOC Now app on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV.
"I know Ms. Linton is working on getting us a hotspot, which would work a little bit better," she said. "We’ve just been trying to make it work."
Racquel Linton is a social worker at Ranson Middle and Winding Springs Elementary schools, where some of Bettis’ kids are enrolled.
Overall, Linton works with about 80 children with varying needs, and she's trying to make sure they're taken care of during this time.
"A lot of my families right now, they're needing toiletries. They need personal hygiene, and a lot of people don’t have access to that," says Linton.
[SPECIAL SECTION: TRACKING CORONAVIRUS]
“I went today and dropped off some food to families because they don’t have anything,” Linton told Channel 9. “It’s really important, I would say, for families to communicate with your social workers, communicate with those people offering their time and services and resources to you because we can only help, when we know.”
This browser does not support the video element.