Two years since the official end of the recession, Californians from all socioeconomic levels remained some of the hardest hit. Still struggling to find work, pay mortgages or simply make ends meet, many are confronting the fact that they may never fully recover.

Reduced earnings, strained relationships and shattered dreams are among the lingering effects on these three southern California families as they continue to endure the hardships brought on by the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.