Against his doctor’s advice, Long Beach resident Israel Maciel had no intention of taking three months off work. His family needed him.
When abdominal surgery left him unable to do his regular job painting houses a year ago, he pivoted to selling snacks that his wife makes in their Washington neighborhood apartment.
“I was cooped up, and I wanted to get out. I wanted to do something,” Maciel said in Spanish. “The bills and everything else, they don’t wait.”…