Hello friends!

You are here because you may know the Vales, and you love them and hope to be able to help them as they have been trying to prepare for their suddenly very uncertain future.

Alex and Sarah have been planning for months and hoping for years to move home (for Sarah) to Oklahoma. They have a home ready to live in, a family who loves them, and as of February 1st, almost all of their possessions waiting there for them there in storage. The problem with this beautiful picture is that this week the US government refused Alex's visa application for “administrative processing”. This means that their application is stuck in processing indefinitely, which can take months or maybe years. Alex’s passport is now blacklisted for entry to the US until the application is completed. This has come as a complete shock to everyone, especially considering Sarah’s citizenship and Alex’s perfectly clean record. This rarely happens for Canadians, and the Vales’ were so sure and encouraged by many that they did not need to worry about a rejection that they already made plans to move out of their apartment as of January 31st.

If you know Toronto’s housing climate, you know that losing an affordable apartment can be devastating without a new place to land. The average two-bedroom apartment in Ontario (not just Toronto) costs between $2,100 -$2,600 per month.

The Vales have been living in a one-bedroom apartment for almost six years now, and they will not be able to simply go rent a new place without some help. Costs have changed, and their landlord will not allow them to stay in their current apartment since they have already given notice. An added stress to apartment hunting is many landlords will not accept families of 4-5 into one or two-bedroom apartments. Keep in mind that Alex and Sarah have two wonderful children and another on the way to care for.

If you know the Vales well, you know that they are prudent and wise with each dollar they earn. For this reason especially, an unexpected event like this is difficult to face when much care and intention has gone into each decision they have made.

This GoFundMe is here for all friends of the Vale’s to be able to pitch in to help them with first and last month’s rent somewhere and to help subsidize the inevitably higher cost of living they will have to take on here in Canada for possibly another year, maybe more (hopefully less).

Should the Vales manage to get Alex’s application through soon, we hope they can simply be blessed by the generosity of their friends as they embark on a big life transition. The Vales are now facing stress of packing, moving, finding a new job, finding affordable housing, waiting for news of their future, pregnancy, and helping their little ones maintain a sense of safety and stability. This is a big financial curveball for one little family, but it is far from difficult with the help of a few friends. I want to welcome all of you to do anything, here or in person, to help ease the difficulty of this situation for their family.

Thank you!