‘I’m selling my blood’: millions in US can’t make ends meet with two jobs

Millions of Americans are currently working two or more jobs in order to make ends meet, as global inflation and corporations jacking up prices have sent prices of food, gas, housing, health insurance and other necessities soaring in the past year.

Cashe Lewis, 31, of Denver, Colorado works two jobs and is currently trying to find a third job to cover the recent $200 monthly rent increase to her apartment. She works days as a barista at Starbucks, but claims it's been difficult to get enough hours even with taking extra shifts whenever she can due to scheduling cuts as part of the crackdown on union organizing by management.

At night she works at a convenience store because the hours are reliable, and works six days a week, often 16 hours a day.

"I'm exhausted all the time," said Lewis. "On the one day I have off a week, I donate plasma for extra money. I'm literally selling my blood to eat because I have no choice."

Her partner suffers from epilepsy and can't work full-time hours because of it. Even with insurance, their medication is expensive and she spends about half of a two-week paycheck at Starbucks to cover the health insurance premiums.

Over the past five years, she has struggled with homelessness, and was previously fired from her job for sleeping in her car behind her place of employment.

"All of my friends and family work multiple jobs as well, just trying to keep our heads above water. Nothing is affordable and the roadblocks set up to keep people in the cycle of poverty benefit the most wealthy members of our society," added Lewis. "We aren't living, we're barely surviving and we have no choice but to keep doing it."