CHRISTMAS FUND

Single mom eager to work

“I’ve always loved our Christmas traditions,” said Nadine, a single mother of two. With the holiday season now in full swing, Nadine explained she’s looking forward to decorating her home with her six-year-old daughter and almost twoyear-old son. “That’s what I love the most,” she said. “Watching the kids be happy.” Nadine said the holidays also provide her with the opportunity to spend time with loved ones whom she does not often get to see. She said she and her kids will be celebrating Christmas with her mother’s family on the 24th and spending time with her late father’s family on Christmas Day. Despite the joy holidays bring, this time of year can also become a source of stress for some. Since coming back from maternity leave about a year ago, money has been tight for Nadine. She was unable to obtain a full-time position at a childcare centre once ready to come back to work after having her son. Now she works on-call, replacing other educators as needed. As the centre at which she works is expected to grow, Nadine said she’s staying patient. If all goes well, she hopes to have a permanent position within the next year or two. Until then, she said she’ll continue to push forward on her own. “I don’t really have anyone … to help me,” Nadine said. Though she and her mother are close, she explained that her mother is also raising another child on her own and therefore cannot offer much relief to Nadine. Her ex does not have any close family around to help either, she said. To help Nadine and her family celebrate the holidays, she will be receiving a $125 cheque from the Montreal Gazette Christmas Fund. The money, she said, will allow her to buy gifts for her children. Every year, the fund helps thousands of Montrealers in need through the holiday season.