I first connected with someone from Aunt Leah’s while serving in a restaurant over the summer, trying to save for my nursing program. I mentioned to a customer that I was working long hours because I am a former foster kid trying to get through my nursing program. As fate would have it, she worked for Aunt Leah’s and gave me their contact information. That interaction changed the entire course of my life.
At the time, my days were exhausting. I took the SkyTrain downtown early each morning for my first job, working the lunch shift at a restaurant and bar downtown. After that, I’d eat lunch on the train while commuting to my second job, which would end in the late hours of the evening. With the commute, I was working 12+ hours a day, six days a week. I was physically drained, and I had no idea how I’d ever save enough to finish nursing school. I had no family support and was also quite shell-shocked from some of my earlier traumatic experiences in life, which made things a lot more difficult. I was burning myself out physically, emotionally, and spiritually trying to get an education, and I felt so hopeless.
Education has always been a sensitive topic for me. I was living on my own without financial assistance from the Ministry of Children and Families at a young age. When most kids were starting grade 10, I was working full-time at a call centre and trying to scrounge up enough money for rent and food. I’m not too sure where my social worker was at the time…When I finally got the chance to graduate high school through a night school program and then attend University, I quickly realized it was going to be a lot harder for me to succeed than for most people. I had no family support, and scholarships and students would barely cover rent and basic living expenses in Vancouver. I had no safety net.
After connecting with Aunt Leah’s, for the first time, I felt hope that I could complete my nursing program. They helped me with money towards rent, a scholarship through Spencer Creo Foundation, and groceries when things were tight. Because of their support, I was able to maintain the grade point average that was required for me to maintain my eligibility in the program. Equally as important, Aunt Leah’s support worker gave me a safe space and understood how difficult it was for me to pursue my dreams.
Today, I work as a specialized high acuity cardiac Registered Nurse at a local hospital, and I’m also a part of the Code Blue team that handles resuscitations for deteriorating patients. After so many years of poverty and struggle, I finally have a good career and I’m self-sufficient, thriving, and able to provide for myself. I would have never been able to do this without the support I received from Aunt Leah’s. I was so close to giving up, but Aunt Leah’s gave me the hope and resources to finish my program and achieve my dreams.
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