Martin once had it all – a home in Toronto’s Beaches community, an acting career and two loving children. However, through a combination of personal struggles and circumstances beyond his control, the home that once housed his family was taken away from him.

“I was physically removed from my house – I couldn’t believe it. My son was with me at the time. Luckily for her, my daughter was at a sleepover. We were locked out of the house and couldn’t get anything inside: furniture, housewares, clothing and valuables, nothing.” 

After making arrangements for his children to stay with others, Martin had no choice but to seek a bed at a shelter.

Martin eventually found a townhouse that he could afford to rent to stay with his kids, but when he went in, it was just an empty space. There was no couch, no beds, nowhere to sit to eat a meal. were Instead, they sat on the floor to eat, and slept in sleeping bags on the floor. 

That’s when Martin was referred to Furniture Bank through one of our partner agencies. Like many of our clients, he had never heard of our organization until he found himself in a moment of need.

“Furniture Bank made our empty house a home, something I couldn’t afford to do on my own,” he says. “It helped bring my family back together. My daughter is now inviting her friends over and she loves it. My son is an honour roll student and is applying to universities. We’ve become a stronger family unit than we’ve ever been.”