Sadness, disappointment and feelings of loss are taking root as a local family remains living in a hotel after arson forced them from their apartment last month.
"I wish I could tell you something positive regarding our situation but the news is not great," says Yvonne Robinson, who along with her son Jeff Clark were left homeless following a fire at the King Street building where they had lived for the past 18 years.
While Robinson says she’s been taken aback by the outpouring of support and donations from the community that include an online fundraising campaign that has so far raised $2,485 of its $5,000 goal, the financial along with mental and emotional stressors are definitely taking their toll.
“The majority of that money had to be used to get a U-Haul to take what little we had left to a friend's storage and a company needed to take away the smoke damaged possessions, which was 98% of what we had,” Robinson says, noting ongoing hotel bills are quickly drying up their funds.
“I have been constantly on the phone making calls, waiting for callbacks, texts, messages only to find I was bouncing from one agency to the other begging for help,” Robinson says.
“The last agency I had contact with told me the last option I have is going to the Guesthouse Shelter along with my son, which I told her under no circumstances would we ever go due to the situation.”
Robinson says she’s wary of going to the Guesthouse since she believes the person alleged to have started the fire has “too many friends there.”
“I kindly told the worker to take that option off the table. There was nothing spoken of that again.
“Being told to call here, talk to this person, if you get nowhere, call this number ... it became a revolving door all around,” says Robinson, the frustration evident in her voice.
She says she was also told one agency that deals specifically with victims of crime and other tragic events would be in touch, but so far hasn’t heard anything.
“We have been waiting now over a month for someone to speak to us about our situation and get counselling, help with financial relief and hopefully a new home to go to,” Robinson says.
“As it stands as of today, we are battling the demons ourselves and finding ways to cope from that terrible night and disaster. It still resonates 24/7.”
A request for comment from Victim Services of Simcoe County was not received by press-time.
However, Robinson says they experienced a ray of light last week after calling the Georgian Bay Native Friendship Centre (GBNFC).
“They did not hesitate to help us out with two weeks payment to relieve the stress of paying for the motel and begging for help,” she says. “When these two weeks are up, we will be having to find another week’s payment to keep this roof over our heads.”
Robinson is meeting with GBNFC staff next week to give them an update on what, if anything, has transpired regarding their situation.
“They will revisit and take it upon themselves to start calling agencies on our behalf,” she says.
“Up to April 17th, the cost of the motel has risen to over $5,000 and that is just for the room. This does not include foods, personal items, clothing, etc.”
Robinson says she and her son have been put in an unfair position through no fault of their own.
“Our lives have been torn apart,” she says. “I sleep less nightly now thinking of ways to look for another home. All the money being directed to the motel could have been used to help us get into another place.
“No one has approached me about help for that. It seems they know we have a roof over our heads and a place to sleep to turn a blind eye to our mental (health), emotional needs. What we need is a home to go to.”
Robinson says others seem to find it difficult to understand their situation and that she has been harassed while waiting for the bus to go downtown.
“Someone approached me and recognized me from the first article,” she explains. “They defiantly looked me in the eye and said ‘no one is going to help you, this you brought on yourself, you’re to blame with no insurance. I wouldn't give you a plug nickel’.”
Robinson says she now lowers her head when taking the bus, does what she has to do in town and returns to the hotel.
“This is not a life for us; I wish this on no one,” she says. “Our mental and emotional states are challenging some days being in the same room.”
And just the other day, they received “another punch in the gut” when they were told it would likely be another four to five weeks before they could return to their apartment and she doesn’t think even that timeline is accurate.
“So on that note, we will not be returning to our old apartment for a number of reasons,” she says. “It's time to move on. What we would like is a home to go to, not a motel. This we pray night and day for.”
