FirstService Relief Fund Provides a Lifeline to a Chronic Migraine Sufferer

For the purpose of this story, the grant recipient wished to remain anonymous so we are using Jane, a pseudonym

Jane, an accountant with Paul Davis Restoration, has suffered from chronic migraines for 12 years. The debilitating pain associated with a migraine makes day-to-day tasks unbearable. In Jane’s case, her migraines were so bad she was unable to stand for more than a minute at a time. Preparing meals and even fixing a cup of coffee were impossible tasks. Her condition also caused her to suffer from severe vertigo, ringing in ears and vision deterioration.

Jane could barely function, let alone work. As a result she was out of work for two months, exhausting her paid time off allocation. Due to the lag time before short term disability kicked in, she faced a period of time with no income causing her to fall behind on her mortgage payments and leaving her without money to pay for day-to-day living expenses.

“I never imagined I would face such financial difficulties. My anxiety about how I would afford to put food on the table and keep my home made a stressful time even worse,” said Jane.

As her condition improved she was able to return to work part time. On her second day back she received a company communication about the FirstService Relief Fund and applied for a grant. Because her condition is considered a Qualified Event under the guidelines of the program, she was awarded a grant.

“The Relief Fund was a lifeline for me. If not for the grant, I would have been unable to pay my mortgage and would have lost my home,” she said. I am so grateful to my colleagues who donated to the Fund and made it possible for me to receive the help I needed.”

The FirstService Relief Fund was designed to help our people in need, with 100% of money donated going directly to them. We encourage you to consider making a donation to the fund.  For many, setting up recurring donations in small amounts, either through payroll deductions or debit or credit cards, can be easier to manage with their personal finances than a one-time donation. Even just a dollar per pay period can have a huge impact when you consider we are an organization of 33,000 people and growing.

If you are facing a personal financial hardship, we encourage you to visit www.firstservicerelief.com to learn more.