Hi, I am in a difficult bind right now. I have run out of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits here in Canada and am in the process of applying for welfare benefits. Unfortunately I owe welfare hundreds of dollars from when I received my EI benefits. EI took 2 months to finally approve my application and welfare took time to approve my case too during that time. By the time my EI was approved, I owed my landlord months of rent and that's where all the extra money went. AND I although I am making a new welfare application this week, it will take weeks to process. I have fallen between the cracks of the government aid system and have nowhere to turn to, and no one in my life who can help me get through this rough patch. The medical on my welfare has also run out, as my doctor had put I had only a temporary constraint. Long story short, welfare will automatically deduct money from my cheque every month, when it does come in, to repay my debt to them. They will take $56 off my welfare cheque every month, until my debt to them is repaid. The amount welfare will pay me (which I have already received this past year, so know what the amount will be) is less than my $535 monthly rent. That does not cover money for food or to pay my bills. I have the lowest electrical bill possible at $45/month and my cellphone bill is $25 + tax a month. I have cut my bills and expenses down to the bone and just cannot survive on what I have. I have no savings left and am not well enough to work right now and need to see my doctor again. I also have expensive medications that I need, and have had to do without them some months this year. I am tired and weary and am exhausted from having to struggle to pay my rent and buy food. I owe my landlord this month's rent for this month. He has taken me to the rental board before, when I had trouble paying my rent, to try to have me evicted. But when you get less than $535/month to live on from welfare, you end up having to choose between having food to eat and having electricity in your house OR paying your rent. It is a very tough choice. I have chosen one or the other before and either one is tough to live with. And yes, I have used the services of my local food bank but it is not free. They charge to open an account with them and charge a weekly fee as well. People think that food from all food banks is free but that is not the reality in my neighbourhood. I have seen social workers for help with this and so I know of all the local resources. I really need money right NOW so I can stop my landlord from trying to evict me again, and also have enough food to eat and a warm apartment to live in. At one point I had my electricity cut off for 3 months and that was not an experience I want to repeat. Taking cold showers is not fun. Can you please help me NOW? Any contribution would be appreciated. I want to get myself out of this situation but I need help to make it through this month. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Good morning I have a long story,so please bare with me, its been years of hardship. in 2003 my entire family and myself moved from South Africa to New Zealand, at the time I already had my daughter so I didn't fall under my family to gain residency, I met a man from NZ ,got married and soon discovered we were expecting a child. the marriage was an abusive one,where he wouldn't allow me to apply for my residency as it was his control over me. I suffered physically at his hands terribly, my biggest fear was that he'd turn on the children and hurt them. so I packed mine and the children's things and ran to my parents. he immediately contacted the immigration department and reported me as illegal. I managed to get a job under a skilled migrant category and gained a work permit under that category. I worked hard and studied even harder, by the time I was 25 I was running a private hospital and rest home, suddenly immigration changed their policy, care givers for the elderly were no longer considered a skilled shortage and I was facing deportation again. I fought hard, as my deportation would mean I would have to leave my son behind because his father wouldn't consent to him leaving the country . my fight to remain in new Zealand lasted 5 long years, my ex was convicted of a heinous crime, which relinquished him of any parental right to our son. my fight was lost. in August 2011 I was deported to south Africa, my children and I had no one,no where to live and no family to turn to. we bid farewell to every one we had the day we left nz. I had no money, no job,I had to find a way to place my children in school. I eventually found a job serving customers in a bakery,that gave me enough money to pay rent only. in 2012 I met my now husband at the bakery, we got married in 2013 and our son was born in November 2013. my husband earns R4000 a month, our rent is R3000 of that, the school is suing me for school fees,most days we don't eat, we don't even have beds to sleep on, because we just don't have the money to buy food let alone furniture. I'm begging you please see fit to help my family,let me be able to buy my children beds, pay their school fees maybe even get them school uniforms, please see fit to help us, we are so far past desperate now,I have no idea what I'm feeding my babies tonight, if you can help please email me purplediva82.ra@gmail.com

I just need some help. I feel like my life is beyond help. I got laid off I have x mas my daughters 14 the bday I need to come up w $1500 for rent cause saving has ran out my front brakes are shot I need to get tags for mY car expired as of today I owe $6000 in traffic tickets before I can get my license back n I just got a warrant for failure to pay $200 in court fees and my 4,yr old wants to know why we can't get a tree this year. I'm 33 n been working since I was 11,this is the first time my life has been so messed up. I keep trying but am at a breaking point but need to hold it together for my children. I need a miracle.please help

Recently we decided that we wanted to get a dog, so we found one on Kijiji and picked it up. The people we got it off of said it was good around children and small animals so we said ok and we brought him home. He was really nice when he was in the car and was friendly to our kids but when we brought him inside he went to meet one of our cats and the cat swatted at him and he attacked, biting him in the eye and he started shaking him also so we were forced to bring the dog back to the owners. We then took our cat to the emergency vet clinic and he was looked after and it cost us around $300 for bringing him there and for medication, but we now have to bring him to a vet to get him re-assessed and if he has developed or is developing glaucoma he may need to get his eye removed and we don't have the money to get it done because we are in a very tight spot right now and it could cost up to $1000 depending on where we take him so the only other options would be to get him euthanized, which we still don't have the money for that even, and I don't want to do that because he is in good health besides his eye. Or surrender him to the humane society in hope of him finding another home and if he doesn't they will probably euthanize him anyway, and he doesn't deserve that, he is such a sweet timid cat and loving companion to his brother who has never been separated from him since birth and a very dear part of our family. His brother was actually looking for him the day it happened when my girlfriend took him to the emergency clinic and he has been watching over him ever since, and our 2 young children would be devastated if anything happens to him. If there is anyone who has a big heart for animals please help, we don't want to lose him and we don't want our children to be upset and his brother separated from him. Anything will help and we don't have much time. Please, please help. Thank You for your consideration, Chad