For most of us, catching a bus or hopping in the car is just part of the daily routine. But for Andrea, a single mother living in a rural Ontario community, getting to a job interview felt as impossible as crossing an ocean without a boat.

After being out of work for more than a year, Andrea was doing everything right. She had polished her resume, practiced for interviews, and applied for every local opportunity she could find. Then it finally happened—she landed an interview that could change everything. A steady job. A stable income. A new beginning.

But there was one problem: she didn’t have the $7 she needed for bus fare.

That was it. The job was waiting. Andrea was ready. But the lack of $7—less than the cost of a fast-food combo—stood between her and a fresh start. Her children needed groceries. Her rent was due. Every cent she had was already spoken for. That morning, she stood in her kitchen weighing a terrible choice: miss the interview, or borrow money she didn’t have from someone else who was also struggling.

This isn’t just Andrea’s story—it’s the story of so many people trying to find work while navigating poverty. It’s the quiet crisis we don’t see. It’s the single mom, the recent grad, the newcomer, the laid-off worker. When you don’t have a car, and public transit is limited or expensive, even the smallest transportation cost can derail everything.

That’s why the Job Skills’ Client Emergency Fund was created.

The fund exists to remove those invisible barriers that hold job seekers back—covering costs that government programs often can’t or won’t. Whether it’s $7 for a bus ride, $50 for gas, or a train ticket to a job fair, the fund is there to offer a hand up, not a handout.

And here’s what makes it even more powerful: 100% of every donation goes directly to job seekers—no administration fees. No overhead. Just real people getting real help when they need it most.

A donation of $25 can help someone get to multiple interviews. A gift of $50 might cover transportation for the entire first week of a new job. Your contribution isn’t just helping someone get from point A to point B—it’s helping them get from hopelessness to hope.

Give someone a ride toward a better future. Donate now at

www.jobskills.org/donations. You’ll receive a charitable tax receipt—and the knowledge that your generosity made someone’s job search possible.

Sometimes, all it takes to change a life is a bus ride. Let’s make sure no one misses theirs.