RAISING A ROOF FOR BE AND MATTHEW

RAISING A ROOF FOR BE AND MATTHEW

 

Just days before returning to their home on Manitoulin Island this winter, despite having reinforcements and caretaking in place, Be and Matthew discovered that their roof had collapsed under the weight of snow and ice, with all their belongings inside. The building is likely unsalvageable, and definitely unlivable for the foreseeable future. Be and Matthew are suddenly unhoused, and unable to earn income while working on salvaging their belongings, and rebuilding their home.

 

URGENT funds are needed to: 



 

· Immediately: Secure and finance affordable urban rental housing 

 

· Purchase a solid structure for their property to stay in while working on the salvage and rebuild 

 

· Replace Damaged Furniture 

 

· Rent a Storage Unit or purchase Freestanding Storage Space for the items that they are able to salvage 

 

A circle of friends has come together with the goal of raising sufficient emergency funds to support Be and Matthew through the Summer, while they focus on rebuilding their life and home.

 

The Journey so Far

 

Three years ago, Be and Matthew left behind skyrocketing city rents and unsustainable food and living costs to begin homesteading on a piece of undeveloped woodlot in the interior forest of Manitoulin Island. 

 

Be and Matthew have worked painstakingly towards the transformation of this woodlot into an ecologically responsible and sustainable home, with an edible/medicinal garden. They work in service of their future vision: to develop sufficient infrastructure in order to share the land with visitors, and the community.

 

They have spent the warmer months working tirelessly on the land, 100% off-grid. Their low to zero impact lifestyle has been achieved by living and creating exclusively with found, scavenged, recycled, reclaimed, and locally sourced materials. Harsh winter conditions on the island – combined with the remote location of their property – necessitate a move to temporary rental housing each year in the off-season. This will remain the case until they have the means to build a winterized structure. Now, through unfortunate and unprecedented weather circumstances, their vision and livelihood is at serious risk.

 

About Be & Matthew and the Land they Tend:

 

Be is a BIPOC Bokara: a traditional teacher/healer in the Dagara tradition of West Africa. She is also an artist, a facilitator, and an herbalist, amongst other roles. She has touched so many lives, so selflessly, in such a deep way. She brings tremendous beauty, wisdom, and compassion to all the people that she meets.

 

Matthew is a visual artist, a percussionist, a skilled tradesman, and a community builder. Friends describe him as extremely kind and generous, steadfast and dependable in his support of others.

 

The land that Be and Matthew tend is described by others as a sanctuary. It is located on the traditional territory of Anishinaabek, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples, recognized by Manitoulin Island Treaties 45 and 94. Situated in Lake Huron, Manitoulin Island/Mnidoo Mnising is the largest freshwater island in the world. It supports some of the highest quality alvar habitat on the planet, interspersed with sand plain forests, wetlands, sand dunes, shoreline, and the Niagara Escarpment. At the northern edge of southern Ontario, Manitoulin is home to wide-ranging mammals, including black bear, and grey wolf, and provides an important stopover area for migratory birds.

 

We wholeheartedly support Be and Matthew in their vision, and the valuable work they are achieving. Putting into practice their core values of ecological sustainability, regeneration, land tending, rewilding, and community support, they enrich all of our lives, and embody harmonious living with nature.