This Is Part of the Reason Why

This is part of the reason I am working toward the Wellness Without Barriers community space — not all of it, but an important part.

Real change doesn’t come from trying to help everyone at once. It comes from supporting a few individuals at a time, through graduated steps that build responsibility, confidence, and real-life skills. That approach leads to independence, not dependency.

Our current support systems are largely built around mass handouts without safe, practical options or education. While often well-intended, these systems rarely provide the structure needed for people who truly want to improve their health and wellness.

Too often people are told to “just garden,” without access to safe or realistic spaces. Community gardens are frequently damaged or stripped, leaving those who are trying to do better discouraged and exhausted. For people living in apartments, rooming houses, shelters, or unstable housing, there are even fewer options — and almost none that are year-round or effective.

Those with private space already have opportunities. Those without are left behind.

Wellness Without Barriers is being created to address this gap.

It is designed to offer:
• safe, indoor access to growing and wellness education • step-by-step support tied to increasing responsibility • practical, hands-on learning that leads to confidence and independence • a dignified path forward for those ready to make change

This space is not about rescuing people. It is about creating real options and real pathways to better health and stability.

Love and compassion are not just feelings — they are built into systems, spaces, and opportunities that actually work.

This is part of the reason I am doing this.

This Is Part of How I Plan to Fund Wellness Without Barriers

This is part of how I plan to fund the Wellness Without Barriers community space — not all of it, but an important piece of the foundation.

From the beginning, my goal has been to build funding methods that are independent, ethical, and rooted in community, rather than relying on large grants, political influence, or corporate control. Independence protects the purpose of the work and keeps decisions focused on real needs — not outside agendas.

That is why Crafted With Purpose and $3 – $2 – $1 – Free are being developed with intention. These are not just fundraisers — they are awareness-building tools that strengthen community connections while helping cover operational costs.

Through Crafted With Purpose, we provide a free online platform that promotes Oshawa makers, artists, and crafters. This creates visibility and opportunity without pay-to-play barriers. In partnership with local small businesses, we also use small in-store print displays and shared social media posts to raise awareness for both Crafted With Purpose and $3 – $2 – $1 – Free, helping everyone involved reach more people across Oshawa.

We have also created our own local fundraising model using products and services from within the community, with a percentage directly supporting our efforts. Every contribution stays local and supports real, on-the-ground work.

Awareness is built both online and in person. We have begun hosting weekly Open Chat events and will be expanding to small-group Open Chats to deepen conversations, grow awareness, and connect with people interested in volunteering or supporting the work.

At this stage, everything is:
• 100% volunteer-run • 100% donation-based • directly tied to operational expenses

As these efforts grow and reach a sustainable point, we will eventually need to hire staff. When that time comes, those roles will be filled by individuals progressing through the Not Just A Food Program and, later, the LIFE Transitional Housing Project — creating real pathways from support to employment and independence.

This is part of how I am building a sustainable, independent funding model for Wellness Without Barriers — designed to grow with the community and remain accountable to it.