For a lot of North Texans, the arrival of COVID-19 set off a pandemic of debt. To those without much financial cushion, who worked in jobs with no remote option, the early days of the pandemic often meant racking up credit card bills to keep the family whole. Now, many are working to pay off pandemic debt.
IOWA PARK — Ashley Smith already had challenges when she dreamed of becoming a nurse long before she began raising four children and two step-children.