Western Counties Soccer

Kaleb Vernon dreams of becoming a professional soccer player. He knows that will never happen in his hometown of Marathon, a northern Ontario community with a six-week soccer season and no traffic lights.

Vernon’s mother, Nancy, is so determined to give the 14-year-old the chance to realize his potential she’s willing to uproot the family and move nearly 1,200 kilometres to Hamilton. The only stumbling block is finding a place to live.

“I want to give him a chance because, if we don’t give him an opportunity, we’ll never know,” said Nancy, who is appealing to someone to give her and Kaleb free accommodation. “This is the only scenario I can think of.”

The Vernons live in subsidized housing because Nancy, a single parent, is on a disability pension. She applied for Hamilton housing and discovered there is a three- to five-year waiting list. “It will be too late for him by then.”

Nancy hopes to be put on a priority list for families that are homeless. To qualify, she’s looking to find a place where the family doesn’t pay rent for the short term. She’s not looking for a handout, she says, just a way to help her son.

“We need to get to a community where he can get access to year-round soccer,” she said. “I believe the Lord is drawing us to Hamilton so Kaleb can have his best shot.”