Please help Emily make ends meet
Donation protected
Hi there,
Thanks for taking the time to read my page. I am creating this fundraiser for myself as I am in serious financial crisis. The story of why is complex and long, but I need to share as I am desperate, so please bare with me.
My name is Emily, I’m a social worker at Kelowna General Hospital, I recently turned 26 and live in Kelowna BC with my cute black cat Nova. I moved to Kelowna from Kingston ON in September 2021 with my very close friend from University Zak. Zak had always talked about moving out West and in April of 2021 when I decided I was going to move I pitched the idea to him and he ran with it. We quickly became increasingly excited about the adventure that lay ahead.
We road tripped cross country to Kelowna and made it September 2, 2021. From that day on anyone who knew Zak and I would agree that our lives became a movie- good things, bad things, no sweat it was all apart of the plot we would say.
Zak quickly became Nova’s “Dad” and we became the best team the world has ever seen (in my biased opinion of course). We weren’t just two people living together, we were a team. We cleaned the house every Sunday morning blasting music after getting coffee from the cafe next door, we came home after work and told each other about all the fine details of our days, we spoke our own language, we took care of each other, we became family for life, as Zak would say “the foundation is there”.
A big big reason Zak wanted to move out West was because he wanted to be a firefighter, it was a dream of his. Moving out here, he talked about it ALL the time (in the best way) and he tried to pursue every opportunity to realize his dream. In the summer of 2022 Zak went to Vancouver Island to get his certifications to become a Wild Land Firefighter. He was offered a contract position that summer but unfortunately was never deployed due to low need of contract support. He was gutted. He so badly wanted to be deployed, camp out, be on the scene, again he talked about it ALL the time.
The season changed and quickly it was snowboard season and every weekend you could find Zak at Big White living his best life snowboarding with the crew. Big snowboard guy.
Then came Spring 2023 and Zak hopped back on the grind searching for a way to get out and fight fire. He was contracted through Big Cat Wildfire, a small contract crew based out of Penticton BC. Zak would share forecasts of the fire season with me and we quickly learned the summer 2023 season was going to be much different than the year prior.
In July of 2023 the time had finally come!!! Zak was being deployed to the Prince George area for his crew to help work on the Donnie Creek Wildfire, one of the largest in BC history. Zak was deployed in July 14, 2023 with an expected two week deployment with him to return July 28. During the deployment Zak had sent me photos and shared with me and all his friends and family how much he was enjoying this experience. He shared that his crew was the most fun at camp and everyone called them the “Mud Cats”.
On the morning of July 28, the date of Zak’s return I received a call at work from Zak’s contract supervisor stating that Zak had been in an accident and was in serious critical condition, I was his emergency contact.
I quickly left work and called his family to inform them. In panic mode I threw together a bag preparing to get to any hospital that Zak would be taken to. I waited for what felt like an eternity for an answer about what was happening, and then his mom called me that evening around 5 telling me Zak did not survive his injuries.
In this instant my entire life shifted and flipped upside down. He was supposed to come home that day, and now my family, my biggest supporter, my best friend was gone.
I was on a return to work after undergoing knee surgery in June to repair my ACL that had been torn. Due to Zak’s death I went back on leave as I began to process and figure out my next steps. 4 months, two moves and three houses later I am now in my own space and trying to start getting back on track. I had returned to work at the beginning of October, however this was unsuccessful as at the time my housing was still a question mark and I was incredibly overwhelmed and stressed and could not focus; as I mentioned I am a social worker and love working with people, but during this time I find it a lot to manage. I have been on a leave since and my medical EI runs out December 9, 2023.
I have applied for Long Term Disability through my employer (approval pending) as well as Income Assistance with the province.
I am struggling every day to cope with my grief, my stress and to survive to the next day. I was able to make rent this month but I sincerely do not know what the next month will bring for me in terms of income and finances.
I have called every organization possible and looked for every opportunity to support myself these last 4 months seeing where there is possible funding for survivors of the deceased and I have been sadly unsuccessful and told there is nothing really available.
Asking for help is hard for me, asking for financial help is even harder. Growing up finances were treated like a secret, so much of my financial literacy and preparation has been self directed. I like to be independent and solve my own problems, however this is a mess of a problem that I cannot seem to find a solution to and I really need help.
I didn’t rely on Zak, but I relied on Zak. I certainly did not anticipate living by myself at this time and as most know the rental market is just brutal; I was not entirely prepared to double my rent budget and expenses. My mental health has suffered and I struggle to take care of myself at a basic level; I have low appetite, low energy, over sleep and struggle daily with low mood and anxiety, this is not my normal self at all. I lost my favourite person and trying to balance grief with survival is difficult and exhausting. The last 4 months have been painstakingly difficult for me but I try to honour Zak as I go through each day doing whatever I can to help myself keep moving forward, I know that’s what he’d want.
I know it is a big ask, but all I am asking is for some financial support so that I can afford to live: pay rent, utilities, groceries, gas, etc.
I appreciate you reading my story, and supporting any way you can.
Gratefully, Emily.
Thanks for taking the time to read my page. I am creating this fundraiser for myself as I am in serious financial crisis. The story of why is complex and long, but I need to share as I am desperate, so please bare with me.
My name is Emily, I’m a social worker at Kelowna General Hospital, I recently turned 26 and live in Kelowna BC with my cute black cat Nova. I moved to Kelowna from Kingston ON in September 2021 with my very close friend from University Zak. Zak had always talked about moving out West and in April of 2021 when I decided I was going to move I pitched the idea to him and he ran with it. We quickly became increasingly excited about the adventure that lay ahead.
We road tripped cross country to Kelowna and made it September 2, 2021. From that day on anyone who knew Zak and I would agree that our lives became a movie- good things, bad things, no sweat it was all apart of the plot we would say.
Zak quickly became Nova’s “Dad” and we became the best team the world has ever seen (in my biased opinion of course). We weren’t just two people living together, we were a team. We cleaned the house every Sunday morning blasting music after getting coffee from the cafe next door, we came home after work and told each other about all the fine details of our days, we spoke our own language, we took care of each other, we became family for life, as Zak would say “the foundation is there”.
A big big reason Zak wanted to move out West was because he wanted to be a firefighter, it was a dream of his. Moving out here, he talked about it ALL the time (in the best way) and he tried to pursue every opportunity to realize his dream. In the summer of 2022 Zak went to Vancouver Island to get his certifications to become a Wild Land Firefighter. He was offered a contract position that summer but unfortunately was never deployed due to low need of contract support. He was gutted. He so badly wanted to be deployed, camp out, be on the scene, again he talked about it ALL the time.
The season changed and quickly it was snowboard season and every weekend you could find Zak at Big White living his best life snowboarding with the crew. Big snowboard guy.
Then came Spring 2023 and Zak hopped back on the grind searching for a way to get out and fight fire. He was contracted through Big Cat Wildfire, a small contract crew based out of Penticton BC. Zak would share forecasts of the fire season with me and we quickly learned the summer 2023 season was going to be much different than the year prior.
In July of 2023 the time had finally come!!! Zak was being deployed to the Prince George area for his crew to help work on the Donnie Creek Wildfire, one of the largest in BC history. Zak was deployed in July 14, 2023 with an expected two week deployment with him to return July 28. During the deployment Zak had sent me photos and shared with me and all his friends and family how much he was enjoying this experience. He shared that his crew was the most fun at camp and everyone called them the “Mud Cats”.
On the morning of July 28, the date of Zak’s return I received a call at work from Zak’s contract supervisor stating that Zak had been in an accident and was in serious critical condition, I was his emergency contact.
I quickly left work and called his family to inform them. In panic mode I threw together a bag preparing to get to any hospital that Zak would be taken to. I waited for what felt like an eternity for an answer about what was happening, and then his mom called me that evening around 5 telling me Zak did not survive his injuries.
In this instant my entire life shifted and flipped upside down. He was supposed to come home that day, and now my family, my biggest supporter, my best friend was gone.
I was on a return to work after undergoing knee surgery in June to repair my ACL that had been torn. Due to Zak’s death I went back on leave as I began to process and figure out my next steps. 4 months, two moves and three houses later I am now in my own space and trying to start getting back on track. I had returned to work at the beginning of October, however this was unsuccessful as at the time my housing was still a question mark and I was incredibly overwhelmed and stressed and could not focus; as I mentioned I am a social worker and love working with people, but during this time I find it a lot to manage. I have been on a leave since and my medical EI runs out December 9, 2023.
I have applied for Long Term Disability through my employer (approval pending) as well as Income Assistance with the province.
I am struggling every day to cope with my grief, my stress and to survive to the next day. I was able to make rent this month but I sincerely do not know what the next month will bring for me in terms of income and finances.
I have called every organization possible and looked for every opportunity to support myself these last 4 months seeing where there is possible funding for survivors of the deceased and I have been sadly unsuccessful and told there is nothing really available.
Asking for help is hard for me, asking for financial help is even harder. Growing up finances were treated like a secret, so much of my financial literacy and preparation has been self directed. I like to be independent and solve my own problems, however this is a mess of a problem that I cannot seem to find a solution to and I really need help.
I didn’t rely on Zak, but I relied on Zak. I certainly did not anticipate living by myself at this time and as most know the rental market is just brutal; I was not entirely prepared to double my rent budget and expenses. My mental health has suffered and I struggle to take care of myself at a basic level; I have low appetite, low energy, over sleep and struggle daily with low mood and anxiety, this is not my normal self at all. I lost my favourite person and trying to balance grief with survival is difficult and exhausting. The last 4 months have been painstakingly difficult for me but I try to honour Zak as I go through each day doing whatever I can to help myself keep moving forward, I know that’s what he’d want.
I know it is a big ask, but all I am asking is for some financial support so that I can afford to live: pay rent, utilities, groceries, gas, etc.
I appreciate you reading my story, and supporting any way you can.
Gratefully, Emily.
Organizer
Emily Algar
Organizer
Kelowna, BC