Client Stories

Persistence pays off

Life changed dramatically for Jamie Crellin when a series of accidents resulted in serious health issues that left him unable to work.

When his insurance benefits ran out in 2013, Jamie found himself living on social assistance.

And there was more heartbreak to come. Because he lacked stable housing, he lost his twin daughters and son to the foster care system, where they remained for a year.

“I know that many would have given up,” Jamie says, “but I had to keep going.”

With a lot of determination, Jamie was able to find housing and regain custody of his three children, now 4 and 7 years old.

But living on a low income made it difficult to buy what he needed for his new home.

SEED’s Saving Circle program is for families like Jamie’s. Combined with ten weeks of money management training, participants save money in special matched savings accounts to buy assets they need.

SEED really understands people who find themselves in difficult situations like I did, and helps them reach their goals.

Through the program, Jamie was able to buy new living room furniture.

Jamie is a regular saver now, and has changed his spending habits.

“At one of the sessions, one of the instructors asked me if I bought coffee every day, and if I’d ever figured out the cost. I was shocked at how much I was spending on small things that really add up.”

Since completing Saving Circle, Jamie has started SEED’s IDA program, another savings program where he hopes to save enough to attend university and begin a Social Work degree. He has also set up RESPs for the future education of his three children.

Through the process, Jamie appreciated SEED staff and their genuine interest in his well-being and success. “They really do give you a chance,” Jamie says. “SEED really understands people who find themselves in difficult situations like I did, and helps them reach their goals.”