Save my mother and siblings from eviction

Dear Supporters,

My family's future hangs in the balance. My mother, Sinead, has poured her heart and soul into building a life for herself and her four kids, but now she faces the very real possibility of losing everything she's worked so hard for.

In early 2020, as COVID was beginning, my mother was working on opening a small business in Toronto, signing a 5-year commercial rental agreement about a week before the first lockdown in March 2020. No one could have predicted COVID and the lasting impact it would have on the economy, among other things. My mom has been the epitome of resilience and determination, working seven days a week since she opened her vegan deli over three and a half years ago, all while shouldering the responsibilities of being a single parent to my brother, sister, (two of us are grown and no longer live at home) and their furry companions. With no business partner, life partner, or family to lean on, she's been fighting this battle alone. And it has been exhausting, stressful and an emotional roller-coaster.

So what’s happening is that for the past year my mom has only been able to pay half of the rent on her apartment, making the difficult decision to take a risk and put everything she had into the business to try and maintain her livelihood. She was counting on the economy bouncing back faster after the pandemic, and that by this point she would have already repaid the back rent that she owes. Unfortunately things are not improving as hoped and the money has just not been coming in fast enough to get on top of it. It’s a miracle that the store has managed to survive the pandemic and the new economic realities, seeing as so many small businesses continue to close down week after week. It’s a terrifying time for many.

My mom has been paying rent in Toronto for over 35 years, often working 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet, and she has never been in this position. She has always been a good tenant and has never been evicted for non-payment of rent. She has lived in her current apartment since 2019.

The developer/landlord has applied to the Ontario Rental Tribunal for an eviction order. There is a hearing scheduled for May 16, 2024. There she faces the threat of eviction unless an agreement can be reached for paying the arrears. I am hoping that we can raise enough funds to help her in her negotiations and make a deal that sees her keeping her home while making a reasonable plan to repay the debt.

Honestly, my mom has had a hard life. But despite her own struggles, she is always there for others, using her time to do activism and to support causes close to her heart, and offering personal help and resources to her neighbours and members of her community. But now she's the one in need of assistance. She can’t do this on her own any more.

Her greatest fear is that if she is forced to leave her rent-controlled apartment, she won’t find anything else she can afford in Toronto, and that she will actually end up homeless. It’s a terrifying reality that my family may soon face. The other fear is that the developer/landlord will go after her business for repayment and possibly cause her to lose the business too. (Ironically the property she rents for the business is owned by the same developer/landlord that owns her apartment building)

I am reaching out to you, our community, for help. Your generosity can provide us with the lifeline my mom so desperately needs to keep her family, home and business intact. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to securing a future filled with stability and hope. My mom literally never asks for help. So that is why I’m asking you.

We are hoping to raise $15,000 to pay off the back rent owed to try and stop the eviction from moving forward. (My mom is in the process of getting some free legal advice on how to proceed) If an agreement with the developer/landlord cannot be reached or if the Tribunal rules against her and orders an eviction, she will be forced to move and the collected funds would be used to cover the costs of relocating the family and begin to repay the debt. This is a really big ask, I know, but if we can get hundreds of people to chip in a small amount, it will add up easily! If you can share this with every single person in your contacts and then ask them to do the same, I’m sure that we can reach our goal! Please help me in any way you are able, either by making a small donation, sharing on your socials and emails, or both.

Please help me show my mom that her lifetime of unwavering determination, kindness, and sacrifices do not go unnoticed and let’s help her keep her housed.

With profound gratitude,

Clive and the Family

My mother and her store can be found on instagram @jinglepeardeli