In the early morning, Sarah Carroll, 49, lets her dogs out before work, while Bagheera, a cat, stays at her feet. Her boyfriend, Mike Carylon, drops her off at her job at the Children’s Factory in town before going to his construction job. She doesn’t drive because of several strokes she had.

Sarah embraces Mike’s granddaughter, Atlas, at their home. Although they are not related by blood, the 22-month-old has known Sarah since birth and calls her "grandma." 

Sarah relaxes on the couch with a cigarette and her dogs. She shares the home with Mike and her blended family of children and animals.

Sarah and Mike sit on their couch together in the home they moved into together last year.

Sarah reflects for a moment at the factory, where she is generally always in motion. Sarah has worked on the pack line in the production department at the Children’s Factory since June 2024.

Sarah loads new cardboard into the machine at her factory job. She enjoys her work more than past jobs at Walgreens and Walmart, where she felt stuck in one place and little satisfaction. 

Sarah, who makes cardboard boxes, lays out cardboard pieces she cut and glued together that will later be used to package goods. This work is laborious and requires attention to detail.

In the parking lot outside the Children’s Factory, Sarah puts her hands to her face in frustration during her morning break. Her machine was printing out the wrong shapes and making her job more difficult. 

Sarah hauls cardboard down a warehouse aisle at the factory. Despite automated factories throughout the U.S., there are still factories where the human touch is very present.