I have not commented much because of OOT post and I dont want to seem unsympthetic or dont think he is doing alot of meserasd nefesh he is.
However historically people were in various circumstance, If you were starving AND had kids who were also starving and on the verge of homlessness (Dont forget there was no welfare state, if you didnt work, you didnt eat) Would you keep shabbos , if that was the only job available. Whatever your answer is, many people given their destituteness choose that job on Shabbos. Thats a rough test, your children are starving and you might lose the roof they live under. As much as your dedication to yddishkeite, some people just had to make another choicee because they had no other choice, it was work or starve