Support Lisa's Housing Transition & Cancer Battle

Our friend Lisa is finally moving into her own place after experiencing homelessness for several years while fighting cancer. Even though she is relieved to have finally secured housing, the associated costs are prohibitively high, especially given that she can’t earn extra income while she’s undergoing chemotherapy. We are reaching out to the community for financial support so that she can furnish her apartment and pay for necessary medications and recover, so that she can prepare to go back to school.

 

Lisa lost her job as a chef after dealing with an unknown illness that left her with an endless slew of medical appointments and impacted her ability to work. She was subsequently diagnosed with cancer, and remains unable to return to work.

 

After losing her home and entering the shelter system, Lisa learned of the astronomical 8-10 year waitlist for affordable housing in Toronto. Until recently, she lived at a 24-hour emergency respite and eventually landed a spot in a shelter hotel. Now, Lisa is moving into her own apartment.

 

Lisa would like to return to work in a different and less physically demanding field. In order to do so, she plans to return to school and pivot careers. To support this transition, we are also asking for funds towards the purchase of a basic laptop and printer. Given that she is still living with cancer, we also wish to alleviate the stress of having to balance financial and health needs by allocating a portion of funds raised towards pharmaceutical expenses and transportation to medical appointments.

 

We are so grateful to all those in our communities for showing up to support our unhoused neighbours, who are constantly encountering the inadequacies and indignities of our government’s social services systems. We deeply appreciate any and all financial contributions that you are able to make.

 

You can learn more about Lisa’s experiences of homelessness and navigating the shelter system here:

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1945152579750/