adriana alvarez , 22 , makes $ 10.50 an hour and must rely on food stamps , medicaid and a child care subsidy to get by with her three-year-old son .
she said water seeps into her apartment when it rains and she loses a day of wages when her son is ill because she does n't get sick days .
alvarez is a leader with fight for $ 15 , an international movement to raise minimum wage laws and acquire the right to unionize .
half of the nation 's fast food workers require some kind of government assistance , according to a recent study .