Three years ago today I opened a restaurant with a dream and zero experience. My parents helped sign things over so I could get started and since, running Passmores Diner has been the most challenging and rewarding thing we could have done.

More than a place to eat, we've offered jobs, affordable meals, and a welcoming space. People from Community Living, folks going through hard times, families and regulars all find a place here. It means so much to see someone leave smiling after a hot meal.

A year ago, we made the decision to sell our family home, as my siblings and I had moved out. Our parents stayed behind - they've since split, and my dad took on the home mortgage and bills while I took on the diner. Since then, the housing market has dropped. Our asking price has fallen in half and it still has not sold. A misunderstanding about the mortgage plan led to the bank starting foreclosure. For months we have lived with a short window to get it sold, and each time we get close, it falls through.

Winter has made things worse. Our restaurant water heater stopped working out of nowhere, and the repair is more than three thousand dollars. We're unable to open without a working water heater. Our bills are behind as we try to save enough for an appraisal so we can consolidate our debt. We are scared of losing both our home and our diner with nothing left after all the work we have put in. Right now our goal is simply to hold on long enough for the house to sell.

Any help truly makes a difference.

The money raised will go toward:

• Restaurant mortgage

• Overdue bills

• Urgent repairs

• Keeping the business stable through winter

Once we are stable again, we plan to match the amount raised and put it back into the community that has supported us.

Thank you for reading, sharing or donating. Your support means more than we can put into words.