My name is Alyssa Sommerville, I am a 26 year old mother of 3. In 2013 I went to National Academy of Health and Business and obtained my Community Service Worker diploma. Since graduating I have been unsuccessful in obtaining employement of any type, especially trying to obtain employement in my field. In 2016 my fiancee started suffering from non epileptic seizures. His neurologist suggested they may be from stress, but since they were unable to pinpoint exactly what was causing them, he should refrain from obtaining employement and he was advised against being left along with the children for any length of time. In April 2017 I tried to volunteer with Helping Hands Hamilton, I was all set to start out in the field when I was informed I would not be recieving before and after school care for my at the time 5 year old son who was in JK, and that if I didn’t provide some sort of proof other than a doctor’s note stating that my fiancee should not be left alone with the children I would lose my subsidy for my younger 2 as well. Ontario Works and Children’s Aid both didn’t see a problem with leaving my fiancee at home with the children knowing he could have a seizure at any time, but I on the other hand could not leave him alone with the children who were at that time, 5, 4, and 1. So I chose not to follow through with Helping Hands Hamilton. When I was first told of the Basic Income Pilot Project I thought it was a great idea. A new innovative way for the governement to try and help out those who are struggling to stay afloat. When I was accepted into the Pilot and told that it was a 3 year project I was esstatic. I was finally going to be able to start paying off my crushing debt, that due to being on Ontario Works, just kept building. I would finally be able to start paying on my student loan, in hopes that I would get enough of it paid off to be able to hopefully go to school again for a different diploma or degree and actual be able to find a job. I was accepted into the project in October 2017, on November 28th 2017 I signed bankruptcy papers with BDO to eliminate a majority of my $30,000 debt. Now at the end of August of 2018 I will be discharged from my bankruptcy status, however my student loans were not included in my bankruptcy. In November my fiancee was finally cleared to start looking for work part time, as well as being able to be left alone with the children. In cancelling this project, I will still be left stuck on social assistance because I won’t be able to afford to pay on my student loans, which means I won’t be able to go back to school. I have tried to no avail to find work. I have applied at various different business and have had some interviews but I never recieve a phone call back. It is a never ending vicious cycle of businesses wanting you to have the experience for the job, but none of them wanting to take the time to hire you and train you so you have the experience. All my job experience is in Customer Service. My last actual job was back in 2011. Since then I have been stuck struggling to make ends meat on what the government gives me on Ontario Works. I desprately want to be a contributing member of society and actually have a job and have the money I need to feed my children and myself and my fiancee, instead of the adults going hungry most days just to make sure the children eat enough