It was supposed to be a part-time job.

But the workload, travel requirements and responsibilities made Keturah Lee's IT program management position as stressful as any full-time job.

The Northeast Washington resident was working for a federal agency less than 30 hours a week when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.

"But I was doing a full-time person's job," she said.

"It was extremely stressful. I was trying to carry all the responsibility and not drop the ball. It was a never-ending cycle. I felt I always had to be on."

A few months into the pandemic, Lee decided to become one of the nearl...