Surviving a Job Loss, and a Family's Devastation

Sitting in her living room in Ocean Hill, Brooklyn, Aldine Francois, 27, peeled layers of silk cloth away from a white book with golden pages. It was a photo album holding the most recent pictures she had of her mother, from a wedding in July 2009.

Months have passed since Ms. Francois last spoke with her mother, whom she describes as her friend, her adviser and a source of support, both emotional and financial. Slowly turning the pages, she admired her mother’s poise and beauty.

“She’s still on her vacation,” Ms. Francois said she sometimes tells herself. But she knows they will never meet again in this world.

Her mother, Clairmelie Francois, 64, a naturalized American citizen, left New York City for Haiti in December 2009 for a stay of one month. It was the first time in 40 years that she had seen her country and family, and she enjoyed every moment.

While she was away, her daughter filled her shoes. She cooked “rice, rice and more rice,” for her father, Antoine Francois, 70, and focused on schoolwork with her niece Chloe, 9, and nephew Chauncey, 11. To watch the children, who live in Queens, Aldine rides two trains and a bus — a 45-minute commute.

From early morning to late night, she tended to her family’s needs and, when possible, continued her search for a job.

Ms. Francois had been a facility coordinator, running maintenance operations at Lehman Brothers, until 2008, when the firm collapsed and she lost her job. Her brother, Rony Francois, 38, then began to pay her to look after his two stepchildren while their mother, Denise Francois, an administrative assistant, was at work.

Aldine’s parents also helped her financially while she continued to search for full-time employment.

Her day began at 7 a.m., on her computer. She would run down her usual job search checklist: checking Craigslist and Monster.com, and making calls to temporary agencies where she had worked in the past. She networked relentlessly. “I have a thousand business cards, and I use them every day,” she said.

Before her mother left for Haiti, the two prayed for secure financing and strength. Her mother, a devoted Seventh-day Adventist, encouraged her as she applied for 50 jobs a day.

Ms. Francois said she received responses to only 25 percent of her applications, and most were only for temporary positions. She thanked God anyway.

“I’ll do whatever I can to keep my head above water,” she said.

On Jan. 12, just before she was to return to New York, her mother joined relatives for a farewell dinner. While the family celebrated, the devastating earthquake struck. The house collapsed, killing everyone inside: Aldine’s mother, four aunts, three cousins and an uncle.

Rony Francois could no longer help support his sister, as he, along with other family members, contributed to funeral expenses. The family paid more than $3,000 for funeral transportation, coffins and the burial, Ms. Francois said.

Her family’s savings were drained so low, they buried two relatives to a coffin, Ms. Francois said as tears filled her eyes.

Ms. Francois’s debts became overwhelming. She fell behind on payments for rent, utilities and her cable connection, which includes the Internet service she used for her job search. She could not afford to attend her mother’s funeral in Haiti. As a last resort, Ms. Francois sought help from Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, one of the seven agencies supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund.

The fund gave her about $330 to pay her utility and cable bills while she continued her job search, and Catholic Charities provided her with $1,500 to clear her rent arrears.

Because of the assistance, Ms. Francois said, she has been able to focus more on helping her family members recover. They now find strength in prayer and one another.

“We will see my mother again,” she said.

And what Ms. Francois viewed as a temporary effort to fill in for her mother has now become a more permanent role. She still watches her niece and nephew. She cooks her mother’s recipes for her father. She also continues her job search, saying a prayer and encouraging herself.

“You can’t sit down and be really angry or sad,” she said. “Everything is in God’s hands.”

Click here to read the original story, published in The New York Times.