Getting Charlie & I Through

Charlie & I at Mali dog park this fall with little Luna playing coy : ) Luna is a friend Charlie met here. Very sweet pug.

Hi, Alana here. I'm an artist, retired ballet teacher, with chronic illness, living minimally as I can with my beautiful pug, Charlie.

A dozen years ago I lost almost everything to a fire, moved to a low cost apartment after staying with kind friends with my 2 cats & a dog. My area isn't ideal: my place was broken into the first week I was here. In 2015 a friend of this person moved in, & has been harassing me after I first helped, thinking this neighbour was just in need, but then realized he sells drugs & is mentally ill. Much harassment has ensued, & I found it's almost impossible to boot someone from their home if psychiatric illness is diagnosed.

I've lost peace of mind, had my apartment flooded, many of my teeth have worn down due to grinding & much dental work has been done, & am on a waiting list to move. But a bureaucratic error has erroneously stated that I have foreign income: I don't, but declared sales of paintings that I have, the proceeds of which all went to medical & dental bills. So medications that were previously covered by RAMQ, the provincial plan, must be paid, & my rent, which is adjusted according to income, was raised $300/month.

I have spent weeks trying to untangle this, involving many hours of calls & emails, being bounced back & forth between agencies, none of which offer help (complicated by enforced periods of bed rest),but meanwhile I must buy food, pay bills, & provide for my wonderful 4yr old pug. Also, if an apartment is offered, & I can't move, as I don't have the funds, I won't be given another opportunity.

So there it is: short term help to eat & maintain my health, & perhaps something to save for a move, which, I know, will be at least $1000.

Whatever anyone can share would be appreciated. Being able to get my monthly prescription medication is important. I have been put on a priority waiting list to move as soon as an apartment in my income bracket becomes available.

Btw, it's an old pic, with me visiting a good friend who raised bulldogs, the home of my late Pretty Baby Belvedere.