[awicz]

You may consider looking into industrial / manufacturing positions, even if only temporary. These firms have a desperate need for technically minded people, and often apply programing principles in their engineering processes or physical automation systems. The problem has been so long standing, many don't even advertise for these types of roles anymore and instead pay headhunters' finders fees or have in-house training programs. Walking into their building and inquiring if your skill set could be useful is not at all a bad approach.

Either way, they certainly pay better than retail.

Best of luck, friend; I hope you're able to turn this challenge into an opportunity