[Omd] mandy

[mattm-b at resist.ca]

forwarded message from leah - on no association or contact with mandy

Hi Friends (and people that are Mandy's friends that I don't know)

The first thing I need to say is that I am currently on non association
with Mandy. So, that means that I cannot communicate with her, AND you
cannot communicate with her about anything that I am saying. That makes
this tricky. But, there is so little that I can do, sitting in this house
under the same bail conditions that she is under. So, I am going to do
what Mandy isn't very good at. I'm going to ask for help.

Living in Ottawa is not ideal for her. She is isolated, away from her
community, and living a suburban life she never dreamed of. As time has
passed, conditions are staring to change for the 18 of us. Mandy has the
opportunity to live in Guelph - which is the place she has committed
herself, and her organizing to for over 15 years - it's her home.

The cycle of poverty that the system has placed on us is real. We cannot
earn a live-able amount of money without loosing our legal aid certificate
that pays our lawyers. Many of us are relying on our family, community and
friends. That's where I'm hoping you can come in to support Mandy.

Right now, one of the biggest obstacles to her living in Guelph is $4800
dollars - a year's worth of rent in a house that the court will let her
live in.

We collectively have the resources to change this, and if she could do
this for us, she would - and in many ways over the years she has for so
many of us, and the struggles we all work in. So often, support feels
intangible. We don't know how we can help, and this is a way that we can
know how.

We need it to be stable - she can't run into a situation where she can't
pay rent that month - she has to continue to be able to live there -
because it will be court ordered. So we are looking to secure a years
worth of rent, before we get lawyers involved in making this possible for
her.

I'm laying out a few options that may make this possible for your help. If
you, or someone else that loves Mandy that you know is interested in this,
please email me with what you can do, and I will let you know where to
send the money.

Support Options:
1. give what you can afford to give right away (each month's rent is $400
dollars - so sponsoring a month, or half a month would be a great start).
this is the preferred option, as we really want to be certain that this is
a realistic possibility for her.

2. pledge to a month of rent for her, and identify what month, and when
you can get those funds (ie, if you don't have the cash right now, but
know you can put some aside over time and pay her rent for a month in a
few months let us know) the only warning about this, is we'll really be
counting on this as a commitment - we can't miss a month, because she has
to continue living in the house.

3. let other people that love Mandy know that this is out there as a need.

My personal experience throughout these last 8 months has been incredibly
humbling. Having to ask for so much support, when I am used to being the
person that gives support is difficult. In the few times I have met with
Mandy to discuss our legal strategy with our lawyers I know that she is so
thankful for the support that she has received. I also know that she won't
ask for this. But she deserves this support, and a better quality of life
which she will have in Guelph. I'm hoping to be able to anonymously have
her rent paid for the year. She will want to pay us all back every cent if
she knows where it comes from. To relieve that pressure off of her, an
anonymous gift of the resources she needs to be back in her home and
community is one of the best things I know we can all do for her.

Please, let me know what you can do to help. I will send you the details
for email money transfer/cheque or cash sending/picking up that is
available.

email: leah.m.henderson at gmail.com

Thank you so much,
Leah