Please help us regain our hope and a roof over our heads

My name is Joanna and I am writing these words at the most difficult time of our lives. The dream of owning our own home has been with me all my life – a dream that was meant to become our safe haven. Together with my husband, we have saved every zloty over the years, sacrificing a great deal to achieve this goal. Eventually, we decided to sell our flat, believing that this would allow us to create a place that would be our home and a refuge for our family.

Unfortunately, we trusted the wrong person. The company that was supposed to carry out the building work turned out to be a fraud. First, we paid an advance – 40,000 zlotys ‘in cash’, without any confirmation that the service had been provided. This was followed by further bank transfers for materials, windows, the roof structure and the roof – a total of 86,000 zlotys, which was all our savings. Over time, the lies began, along with evasive answers and a lack of documents to back up the expenses. We tried to sort out the situation, and the case went to court, but the Crown Prosecution Service refused to launch an investigation, arguing that the bank transfers were not sufficient evidence in the case

Today, we are fighting not only to complete the extension to our house, but also for every single day of our lives. We’ve reached a stage where even the ceiling is at risk of leaking – we’re short of a dozen or so reinforcing wires and the materials needed to finish the roof. Winter is approaching, and we’re teetering on the brink, with no means to safeguard what we’ve already achieved.

Our financial situation is dire. My husband’s employment contract has not been renewed, and I am struggling with panic attacks that make it difficult for me to function in society – even leaving the house has become a challenge. The daily struggles, the uncertainty of tomorrow and the constant fear about basic needs, such as putting bread on the table, leave us feeling helpless.

In these difficult times, we are receiving immense help from our neighbours. Their support – both in words and in deeds – is invaluable to us. Thanks to their help, we are managing to carry on despite the adversity, but we cannot complete the building work and secure our home on our own.

That is why we are making an urgent appeal to you: we are asking for more than just financial support. You can also help by donating building materials, essential household items or other things that will enable us to get the building work underway. Every contribution, however small, every gift – is a step towards fulfilling our dream of a safe place we can call home.As of today, the case has been referred back to the public prosecutor’s office with new evidence, thanks to the assistance of a lawyer from the Free Legal Aid scheme. We hope that this time we will succeed in recovering the money taken by the thief.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your help. Thanks to you, we can face adversity and fight for a better tomorrow.

Joanna and her husband Tomasz