My mother has carried the physical, emotional, and financial burden of being the primary breadwinner since our father fell ill with stage four cancer and passed away in September 2022.

After his death, immigration delays and the immense mental toll forced my mom out of work for nearly a year before she was finally able to return as a security guard. During that time, debt piled up. While we’ve managed to keep rent paid including the arrears, it has almost always been late, and the constant financial stress at the beginning and end of each month has taken a toll on all of us. Ever since losing our father, the instability has only grown. Thankfully, we cleared the first wave of debt my mom carried largely on her own, but the cycle of financial misfortune hasn’t let up.

What makes me proud is that at 53, my mom went back to school. She earned a social work certificate and is now working toward a university degree, hoping to build a more stable and meaningful career. But while she works and studies, the stress of housing insecurity never lets up.

The home now at risk of eviction is the place we’ve lived for the past decade — where my mom, two of my sisters, my baby nephew (temporarily), and I live together. While the adult children in the home are working and going to school, our combined income (of low-wage jobs) hasn’t been enough to consistently keep up with rising costs of living. None of us ever wanted to be in this position, and we’ve done our best to stay afloat, but this month we were served an eviction notice due to frequent late payments.

We’re asking for help to raise $6,000 to break this late-rent cycle. This will:
• Cover first and last month’s rent and additional expenses if eviction is finalized, or
• Give us the breathing room to stabilize our finances, avoid further arrears, and keep up with rent where we’ve built our lives for the last 10 years.

Even $5 helps, and if you can’t donate, sharing our story would mean the world to us. Every act of kindness brings us closer to stability and gives my mom the peace of mind she deserves.

Your support wouldn’t just help us keep a roof over our heads — it would give my mom the dignity and rest she has fought so hard for. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.