It should also be noted that other actors in the situation are also making choices. The sister is staying with the bad boyfriend. The bad boyfriend is stealing

It should also be noted that other actors in the situation are also making choices. The sister is staying with the bad boyfriend. The bad boyfriend is stealing food. Neither of these two is sustaining themselves. And that's ignoring the father. What really jumps out of the story is that even just if one out of four people in the situation makes good choices, he can uphold all three others plus the ill mom. Its remarkable how little it takes.