Help the Barra Family Stay in Canada

Our dear friend Cecilia and her husband, Juan, recently had their savings drained when a family member fell victim to an online scam. We are sponsoring this fundraiser to help them cover their basic expenses over the next few months while Cecilia finishes her degree. We would be so grateful if you would read their story and help out in any small way. Sometimes we are all in need of a helping hand.

Growing up, our friend Cecilia often travelled to Canada with her mom in the summer, leading groups of Mexican students on English immersion tours. She learned the language herself and developed a dream of one day starting her own life here. Fast forward and Cecilia and Juan met, fell in love, had two beautiful children and established solid careers in Mexico. But, like so many parents, they still dreamed of a better life for their children - a safer community and more opportunities.

After planning and saving, Cecilia brought her family to Port Moody two years ago so that she could attend a Canadian post-secondary institution and eventually start work as a counsellor. Her children, Luisa and Max, rapidly learned a new language, made friends and became involved in local dance and soccer communities. You may have also seen Juan’s smiling face as prepares you a delicious meal at one of our local food trucks, or Cecilia may have helped your child tie a shoe or open their snack during her part time work as a noon hour supervisor at Max and Luisa’s school.

However, these income streams are not enough to support a family during these tough economic times. Recognizing this would be a challenge, the family relied on their savings to help bridge the gap while Cecilia went to school. Even then, budgets were tight. Now, within one semester of reaching her goal of finishing her degree and starting a new career, her family fell prey to a scam which drained their savings and left them without any financial buffer. As a result, these last 4 months are proving an insurmountable financial challenge. Given their current Visa status, they are not eligible for loans from banking institutions. Juan is working as much overtime as possible, but without additional savings, they are unable to cover the costs of upcoming visa and passport renewals ($2000), tuition ($1000) and monthly living expenses ($3000/month).

This beautiful family just needs a little luck and support to get them over this final hurdle. They have already established themselves as valued members of our community. Please consider making a donation to help this hard working family achieve their dream of staying in Canada. Any amount you feel comfortable donating would be so greatly appreciated at this time. Thank you for listening. Muchas gracias!