On a sunny fall morning, Lily*, a single parent of three, shared her story, one that embodied both love for her children and an unimaginable hardship. In 2022, Lily was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer and was given only a few years to live. Despite the devastating diagnosis, her courage shines through. Her story is one of pain, struggle, and resilience.
Obstacles in the system
Every day since her diagnosis, Lily has struggled to make ends meet. Her oncologist advised that she would not be strong enough to work as a hair stylist while she focused on chemotherapy, radiation, and her mental well-being. Unfortunately, she did not receive all the information she needed in a thorough medical report to access critical financial support through the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program. For over a year, she relied heavily on credit cards just to get by, all while trying to make sense of the complex health and social benefit systems. Although she had called Canada home for more than 20 years, Lily still found it difficult to navigate a healthcare system shaped by a different culture and language. With little social support and only a fraction of her previous income from Employment Insurance benefits, Lily’s financial situation soon crumbled and forced her into debt just to meet her family’s basic needs.
Compounding challenges
Lily’s friends and colleagues tried to help by setting up a GoFundMe campaign and writing letters of advocacy to government officials. But the funds were never enough, and the letters went unanswered. Then, the unthinkable happened when her mother was also diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Now, Lily was not only fighting for her own life but also supporting an elderly parent through their own intensive treatment.
A step towards resilience
Feeling the overwhelm and knowing something needed to change, Lily bravely reached out for support and was connected with services who helped her get the documentation she needed to receive AISH and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits. Slowly, she began to chip away at her debt until she faced another major setback: a no-fault car accident with new bills for repairs, physiotherapy, and medical expenses.
The struggle for food
Despite receiving food hampers several times per year, Lily couldn’t meet her family’s needs and grew more concerned about the impact of food insecurity on her children’s well-being and development. Her three growing children – ages 4, 7, and 12 – needed more quality sources of protein that weren’t always available from food programs. She also gave away half the contents of each hamper because many items were unfamiliar to her children and her culture.
Grocery gift cards: an immediate lifeline
Lily found a lifeline in her community through I Can for Kids. One of our partner organizations, Carya, connected her to our grocery gift card program, and it could not have come at a better time. It was April, and all three of Lily’s children had birthdays fast approaching. Our grocery gift cards gave her the freedom to buy their favourite cultural foods plus enough fresh fruit, vegetables, and meats to nourish her young family. For the first time in a long while, Lily’s two school-aged kids could pack their own lunches and enjoy a meal with their peers. The joy and relief they experienced were immeasurable. Lily now prefers grocery gift cards because they ease her emotional stress and empower her to buy what she needs, when she needs it, from a store in her own neighbourhood.
The impact of a community of support
When we met with Lily, she revealed that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Reflecting on the gift cards, she shared: “This program helped me calm myself down. I was suffering. I felt like a loser because I was worried I couldn’t care for my children.” Grocery gift cards not only allowed Lily to put healthy meals on the table, but they also gave her the ability to redirect her limited budget towards other essentials like medications, hygiene items, and clothing for her growing kids.
A note of appreciation
As her journey continues, Lily wanted us to highlight how her connection to our program reminds her of her inner strength: “When I was really sick, you helped me a lot. I could feel your support behind me. It was so helpful, especially as a single mom.”
A brighter future
Today, Lily faces her journey with renewed hope and gratitude. Her story is a testament to the power of community support and the resilience of the human spirit. Through the generosity of donors, I Can for Kids continues to empower families like Lily’s, turning challenges into opportunities for growth and connection.
To join iCAN’s expanding list of donors, sponsors, and champions, check out the different ways you can get involved or donate.
To learn more about I Can for Kids and their unique approach to childhood food insecurity, visit www.icanforkids.ca
*Name changed for privacy
About I Can for Kids Foundation
I Can for Kids works closely with multiple agency partners to target and distribute grocery gift cards to food-insecure families who are most in need. The iCAN grocery gift card program is a more dignified and inclusive approach to dealing with food insecurity, allowing families to shop where everyone else shops and to choose foods that are appropriate for their health and cultural needs. Explore their website to discover more about iCAN’s impact over the years.
For more information and media inquiries, please contact iCAN Executive Director, Bobbi Turko at bobbi@icanforkids.ca.
