Hi Life Outside community,

I am writing about our good friend and colleague, Marie. Marie has been working with us for almost 2 years, and is a person that exudes joy and love for others. She is a gift to have as an employee, and is facing a ton of health challenges at the moment.

Marie came to Canada from the Philippines 4 years ago to pursue studies in Saskatoon. She is now fighting the effects of long-covid including tons of migraines, nausea and vertigo. She is living alone (with her dog Che-che) and is now facing ending her studies because of the extreme exhaustion she faces every day. It is a lot of symptoms that are often masked, but truly debilitating, and I can imagine hard to live with while having pressures of studies and living away from family.

On the weekend, Marie had to miss work again due to extreme symptoms. I had a couple customers ask for her, because she makes so many connections and is such a bright light to others in the world. One actually said "You must be so glad she works here!" I couldn't agree more. Marie has a heart that loves children and any dog she meets. One other unique thing about Marie, she genuinely LOVES the cold weather. I am talking the deep snowy bone chattering cold! She actually sought out Saskatchewan to study because it got so cold in the winter.

This request is a means for us to uplift Marie and help alleviate some financial burden, and show her how much we love her and grateful to have her in Canada with us.

Thanks for considering, and being a community that cares.

Nancy and Matt, owners of Life Outside Gear Exchange