Story

My name is Cindy Arason, and I am 63 years old, struggling to make ends meet. After paying my bills, I am left with no money for food and have been without any for three weeks now. I live with severe mobility issues and rely on a disability check, but the money runs out long before the next one arrives. I have no family to turn to for support and currently live as a guest on someone’s couch, having been priced out of the housing market in BC.

My current situation stems from a deeply challenging experience. I had been working as a nanny for a father with two children, but after one of the children fell ill, I also became extremely sick. I was hospitalized for 42 days with pneumonia, influenza B, and a severe lung infection. During my time in intensive care, the father I worked for kicked me out of his home, leaving me homeless and unemployed. All my belongings were placed in storage, and when I finally recovered and was discharged from the hospital on June 24, I had to face this hardship alone.

Since then, I have been struggling to feed myself and find adequate housing. I am on every BC Housing list across the lower mainland and Vancouver Island, but I’ve been told the wait could be 7 to 10 years. Currently, I am staying with an 84-year-old who is also unwell, but this situation is not stable, and I may lose this place soon as well. I’ve been forced into a position where I would live in a van if I had one, just to have somewhere safe to call home.

I do not smoke, drink, or do drugs; I simply cannot stretch my limited income far enough to cover even the most basic of necessities. I’m in urgent need of financial assistance to secure food and a more permanent place to live.

Please, if you can offer any help at all, I would be incredibly grateful. Your kindness would provide me with the support I so desperately need during this very difficult time.

Sincerely,
Cindy Arason