Support Fund

Hello! My name is Deidre and I've decided to make one of these in light of recent circumstances of my mothers living and personal situation. My mother is 62 years old and was born with Cerebral Palsy. She raised me as a single mother for the majority of my life and always went above and beyond to give me the best childhood possible. Even as an adult she has done everything in her ability to help me when needed, from giving me the last dollar to texting me every night to say good night and that she loves me. Throughout my childhood we lived in NL Housing and she was receiving Income Support. In 2011 she met someone and eventually moved out of housing and got off Income Support as he was able to support them. She had little to no income during this time as shes never received any Disability Income and came off Income Support, however in the earlier years she would find work at fast food chains and work as much as she physically could at the time. With age and lack of support and resources for her disability her condition worsened and she eventually needed a hip replacement, after this procedure, needing to then use a walker and cane permanently, she was unable to work at all which resulted in her having no personal income and her partner being the main and only financial support she had. She did apply for her pension when she became of age and it came back she would only receive 4$ from it per month as over the years she hadn't paid much towards it as she wasn't able to work and when she did it was very little hours as she could not physically be on her feet for too long. He has since fully supported them both with his job.

Fast forward to present time, their landlord had decided to move into the home so they were told in July they would need to be out by October. As we all know the housing crisis currently, due to this they were finding it hard to find a place affordable and tailored to their needs. Late July, due to unforeseen circumstances her partner left without much explanation, also resulting in my mother having to be out of the house a month earlier than expected. This changed everything, turning her world upside down and the process of figuring out these next steps for my mother began. The last couple of weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions, panic, stress and confusion.

Between reapplying for NL Housing, Income Support and packing up her house was stressful but with such a small time frame its added a cloud of panic to the mix. We have been trying to find a place for her to live, that is accessible and affordable. If any of you are familiar with social assistance, people do not receive much and there is a wait list once you apply. NL Housing also has a wait list and even more so the past couple of years. On top of that, I'm sure everyone is aware of the rental prices outside of subsidized housing right now in general which has made it difficult for even people with decent income to find somewhere to live. We have been in contact with 2 different people/resources to help with applications and support but right now were basically playing the waiting game, and while waiting we have also been desperately trying to find any other resources, support or people that are able to help in any way find somewhere for my mother to live and make a new home for herself to start this new chapter in her life. Currently she has no where to go, she has nothing set up or somewhere to call home or anything to look forward to. This is becoming more and more stressful as it is nearing the end of August and as stated previously, she has until September 1st to be out of her current house. However, there is a chance if we are able to pay Septembers rent she can stay in her current house which would give us more time to iron out the details and find somewhere for her to live. Personally this has been a really emotional time for myself as its hard to standby without being able to offer financial support (due to struggling myself being someone who works a minimum wage job during these times) or a place to stay as I live with roommates, have no extra room, and most importantly my house is the opposite of accessible for someone with such a disability.

I realize it may be a lot to read and I appreciate anyone taking the time to do so. I wanted to be transparent as possible and explain as much as I could. Asking for help is a very vulnerable thing to do and it isnt something my mother has done very often, even considering the circumstances she has faced throughout her life. Right now I am pleading for any help or support I can find being one of, if not the only, person in my mothers life able to advocate and put the effort into helping her at this difficult time with all of the questions and concerns that come with it. So with this 'gofundme' I am hoping to help with any financial expenses and stresses that will come to the surface amongst the chaos of this situation ie: moving costs, basic necessities, groceries to start off with, medications, etc. more so for the beginning stages of this transition, taking as much stress and worry from my mom as I can. Ideally I want to make everything in my control as smooth and comfortable as possible in the upcoming times. If anyone can help in any way to help me, help her; whether that is a donation of money or even reaching out with any suggestions of resources she could avail of would be unbelievably helpful and I would be forever grateful.

I'm going to add something a long term family friend wrote from her perspective about my mom to give you all some insight on who she is as a person -

"One person I know who is consistently involved in helping others is Pauline. She is a compassionate and selfless individual who genuinely cares about the well-being of others. Pauline always goes out of her way to extend a helping hand to those in need, making a positive impact on their lives. She helps others in various ways. One of the ways she helps is by volunteering at local charities and community organizations. In this materialistic world, there are very rare people who help others without expecting anything in return. She is one of those people. For those who don’t know Pauline, she is one of the most selfless, caring people who has gone above and beyond for anyone that crosses her path. She has volunteered and contributed to many organizations including Froude Avenue Community Center, Holy Cross Elementary, Skills for Sucess, Vera Perlin Society, and Elections Canada just to name a few. Pauline has had Cerebral Palsy since birth and it affects her mobility, and to an extent her cognitive ability. No matter what hurdles she has to cross she is always willing to assist others, and actively contributes her time and effort to make a difference. So now its time for us to give back to her and give her the help she clearly deserves"