Thanks to a bump in his pay last summer, Norberto Ruiz was able to afford a $150 air conditioner to keep his family's two-bedroom home in North Hollywood from feeling like a furnace when temperatures soared.
The Honduran immigrant, who works at a liquor store in West Hollywood, saw his hourly pay jump by $1 to $16. For the first time, the 53-year-old, his wife, two daughters and in-laws could enjoy the simple pleasure of a slightly chilled living room, due chiefly to a small pay raise.
"I don't think people understand how much an extra dollar or two can change people's lives," Ruiz said. "We'll never be a rich family, but at least we can be happy."
