All they want for Christmas is a job.
As our COVID-19 guest stretches its uninvited stay into the end-of-the-year holidays, continuing pandemic restrictions and shutdowns have kept many Springfield area residents from the paychecks they desperately need.
That means Christmas stockings may go empty in many households this year, the unemployment assistance system will remain overburdened and the perfect winter storm of illness and joblessness is poised to blanket much of the region s holiday cheer.
It s a far cry from Christmas 2019, when Springfield resident Vincent Reed finally received his massage therapist license and embarked on a new career which was soon cut short by the pandemic.