Fire Recovery Fund for Chelsea Vickers

Hi everyone,

It is with a heavy heart that I am creating this page. When I realized that I would never recuperate the majority of my apartment, it hit me how much of a loss this event was. I was going through denial and shock, I was high off positivity, optimism and adrenaline. And then Friday, I caved. I got sad. I miss my home, my favourite things, my favourite spatula, my favorite coffee mug, my favourite pillow, my bed that I saved up for… my couch that I researched extensively to find the perfect one… and now I don't even have a soup bowl to sip from. I have to rebuild my home from scratch right now. A home that I had just comfortably set up to fly through my last year of school, when everything was taken away from me through arson and negligence of an empty apartment unit.

This is the home that I spent in isolation for 2 years, having lost my job due to COVID. I decorated and made the place so cozy and comfortable for my little family. The only thing that I guess that I was missing was getting renters insurance once I invested so much into it. My dog and cat are so stressed now, without their comforts of home, no dog bed, no cat scratcher or any of their toys or bones. The firemen said we were only allowed to grab our necessities the day after the fire and luckily I pushed to save my favourite art pieces and my instruments. The same items that I came here with to Montreal, at 27 years old moving into an empty apartment in 2015. I had nothing, and I wanted to build a new life for myself, a foundation, and a home... and I built it up from there, one year at a time. And now, 8 years later I have nothing once again, just me and my suitcase, some instruments and some art pieces, trying to find a home.

I am in school and I work full time right now, which already is a lot. It's been really hard missing the sunlight of my bedroom when I wake up, or my routine of letting the cat out onto the balcony stairs for his morning walk, and then taking the dog for our morning walk around the neighbourhood and picking up coffee on our way home. It's all gone, it's all lost. And it'll never be the same again. And as much positivity and optimism I have had for saying "I'm alright, I've got this" … I really don't. And I need your help. I've never asked for support like this before, and it's really hard to admit that I need support, but I guess this is what community fundraising is all about right? And I have done it for others, but why can't I do it for myself?

I am writing this in tears right now because it has been hard, and it is still going to be hard for me for a few more weeks. I missed Halloween, getting candy for the neighbourhood kids, pumpkin carving. My entire life just blew up. I am going to drop out of school so that I can handle all of my responsibilities right now to rebuild the foundation I need to be able to tackle all of my goals effectively. I've been working so hard lately to finish my degree but now I have to go buy a new bed. So, it's been a tough couple years through COVID and balancing school and I was ready for things to get easier for this last year of finishing my degree…more comfortable and routine... and it's now gotten harder than ever.

Sometimes I am so so grateful for all of my blessings that I really have a hard time admitting that I am in need. But I am suffering greatly right now and could use your support for me to be able to rebuild again, for me to buy myself a new favourite lemon squeezer, a new coffee mug, or a steak knife.. A new winter coat, or maybe one day even getting a spin bike again. I am not looking for material donations, I am looking to rebuild what is mine, for my family and I to have our independence of selecting our own items to regain our sense of "home" back.

Sincerely grateful for all of your support,

Chelsea

MEDIA:

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/st-henri-rallies-around-tenants-displaced-by-st-jacques-st-fire