Megan Kinch and Esther Fire Recovery Fund

This is hard to write: not the least because my laptop has melted. There was a major fire in my apartment on thursday night, while i was working the night shift as an electrician down on bay street. There was major damage to the house on hallam st, but especially my unit has heavy damage. My friend and babysitter fought the fire before firefighters arrived and was hospitalized for smoke inhalation for a few days. My daughter Esther, who is 8 years old, ran away from the fire like we talked about and is unharmed. She had her precious stuffed seal Icey in her arms. Other housemates and pets in other units are also displaced. I arrived home from work in a cab to find firefighters and cops had the street blocked off. They gave Esther a fire dog stuffed animal and an orange blanket as her babysitter held her. They and my housmates told me they watched the firefighters break the bay windows of my apartment and spray the fire.

This comes as a special blow since i was just getting back on my feet again. As an ibew electrician and single mom covid has hit me especially hard as i was not able to work due to lack of childcare during the lockdowns and school shut downs. Cerb and union layoff funds had me scraping by but its been very tough : all my saving were drained and when i moved i didn't get fire insurance. I told myself id sort that kind of thing out when i got back on my feet. Since i live paycheque to paycheque while im recovering from the economic devestation of covid im in a terrible position to deal with this.

I would estimate that 30-40% of my stuff is burnt. Most devestating is my laptop which i use for my journalism work that focuses on social justice, urban and labour issues- ive been recently published in equal times, briarpatch magazine, cbc parents, todays parent and now magazine. This work doesn't pay the bills but its my labour of love and its very important to me and i really need a computer. My tv and Esther's tablet were also burned, as was my late mom's and my uncles bass amp from the 70s from their garage band 50% Cotton, as was some expensive music equipment and a clarinet belonging to a friend that i jam with. My flute,which is my oldest possesion and given to me by my grandfather when i was in grade 5, is miraculously ok, i think the 1960s leather case protected it well. Also all of my and esther's books were burnt and our living room furniture. Our tandem bike and possibly other bikes were damaged by the electrical truck and fire- we don't have a car and rely on our bikes for transportation. I think most of our clothes will be ok after a wash i hope.

More signifciantly, i've lost my place to live. I am also losing work as things are too up in the air re living space and childcare to be back at my managed-risk electrical job that requires focus. I have to pack up everything in place and move to a temporary or permanent new home, and without last months rent i'm in trouble for getting a new place and for temporary accomadations, plus the loss of work while i deal with all this, temp storage costs, van rental etc. I also have to take care of Esther and protect her from all of this and keep her as happy as possible. The cost and difficulty of finding a place in toronto-where my work- big enough for me and my daughter is daunting.

Any and all help is appreciated. I also am accepting interac email money transfers to [email redacted] if that is easier for you. Already people have stepped up from our neighbors who gave esther a tracksuit while she watched our house burn to my friends letting me emergency crash at their place for a few nights to twitter friends email transfering some cash for my immidiate needs the next day. Thank you so much to my community for everything.