Hi and thank you to anyone who would take the time to read this,
My wife daughter and I have been rather fortunate during this pandemic, no one in our family has fallen ill and luckily enough we were able to find an apartment this past September 2020 that the three of us could move into. Previous to our move we were living in a very less then ideal situation with extended family of mine. Living with them was a very tense situation, we were all exposed to a lot of fighting and violence, thankfully our daughter did not bear witness to most of it but non the less it was a situation we desperately needed to get away from.
We were overjoyed when we were accepted into our little two bedroom apartment in a low-rise in the north end of town close to our daughters school. It is without a doubt the most joy I think my wife and I have ever experienced second only to the birth of our daughter. We were able to afford the first and last by scraping every last penny we had together and on the day of our move I don’t think I had 20 dollars left to my name. My wife previous to the pandemic was working part time in the cafeteria of the College/University up the street from our house and I have been working relatively full time hours (as many as they will give me) at our local Hardware store which has been kept open at least for online sales for the duration of the pandemic. Needless to say my wife’s job has gone away and we are not sure when it will come back.
Thankfully we have still had what income I can provide, we also receive a Canadian Child Benefit every month on the 20th that assists with food and upkeep ect. My wife also had been receiving provincial disability support in the ball park of a $600 dollar a month direct cash payment towards rent which would fluctuate when she was working and we would claim our incomes together. Essential with that particular benefit the more you make working the less you receive and vice versa. As I write this it is January 19th 2020 and yesterday we received news that her Support payments towards rent were being cut off as her file was under review and being re evaluated to ensure she still met the eligibility requirements.
Her health issues from years ago that caused her to qualify have improved which is a good thing and she may very well not qualify anymore, we were however woefully unprepared for additional financial losses. Regardless of how it turns out upon review there will be no time for any assistance towards this upcoming February rent day on the first as the whole process can take quite a while. Currently because of the pandemic our daughter is doing grade 2 online at home and keeping her connected to the internet with a roof over her head, food in her stomach and clothes on her back is the only thing important to us.
We do not want to be begging for money or receiving government assistance for our whole lives, we want to be self sufficient. We are both supporters of social assistance programs, they after all have saved us quite literally many times before but to have meaningful employment that would allow us to be completely independent is what we know we need to strive for. Essentially we are worried about the next couple of months rent which for us amounts to $1435.00 which is thank god an all inclusive amount, no additional utilities. Along with rent on the first of every month I need $100 dollars to keep our internet going and my daughter connected to her class room. As far as eating and commuting and paying for whatever else live brings its becoming harder to figure that out as well.
In a month at my current job I can make approx $1500 – $1700 a month I am paid hourly and do not have a full time designation so what I make at this job fluctuates. As stated previously we get a Canadian Child Benefit on the 20th of each month and it is for $380. The math is getting tighter and tighter and there is not much time to figure this out. In an absolute fantasy world we would scratch a lottery ticket, win $5000 and be able to cover rent for the next few months and potentially get a vehicle back to expand the area in which we can look for work as a car is something we currently have absolutely no hope of affording but would assist tremendously with making more money. We are very worried about losing our apartment and not having a place for my daughter to not only complete her online school but for us to provide a healthy and happy living environment for her to grow up in. Last week on Tuesday we received the news that we are pregnant again and expecting our second child, our daughter Rachel was absolutely thrilled by the news she actually cried happy tears which is something I have not witnessed her do yet in life. I am of course also incredibly happy but our current financial situation terrifies me tot he point where I cant actually express joy for the situation.
If there is anyway we could received assistance just to keep a roof over our head these next couple months and potentially find a car to help us commute to and from and potential jobs it would be so astronomically appreciated there is really no way for me to put it into words. I am at my wits end and I know the worry is getting to my wife as I am still as of writing this not even confident I will have rent on the 1st let alone pay for anything else.
Thank you if you took the time to read this stay safe stay healthy and I hope 2021 will bring about better news and fortunes for us all then did 2020
Kyle, Victoria and Rachel
Thank you
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