They would have effectively died off starvation if Joe hadn't come along. Everything was falling apart and they were coasting on the remnants of the work before

They would have effectively died off starvation if Joe hadn't come along. Everything was falling apart and they were coasting on the remnants of the work before them. The labor situation was glossed over, but it also looked like sex work was far more prevalent. I'm not saying that sex work is inherently bad, only when by force (either explicit or implicit due to opportunities).