Urgent need for volunteers to help women and children move out of abusive homes in Montreal
An organization that helps women and children move out of their abusive homes says if it doesn’t find more volunteers by moving day dozens of families in Montreal will be forced to remain in dangerous situations.
The local non-profit Shelter Movers, Transit Secours, in French, works with community agencies to help families escape violence by moving them to safe places.
“For many, moving day is an inconvenience, it’s an annoyance,” said Marc Hull-Jacquin, the executive director and founder of the non-profit group.
“But for some women in Quebec in the Montreal region,” he continued, “it could be the day that decides whether they live or die because they have to leave immediately.”
It takes a lot of teamwork, however, to ensure the families and their belongings are moved efficiently and safely and right now the volunteers they rely upon are in short supply.
They do not want to have to cancel or delay any moves to shelters or secure new homes just because they’re short-staffed.
So they are looking for all sorts of help: people who can drive trucks, lift boxes and do administrative and coordination work.
The group is even looking for volunteer lawyers to help review any legal issues around the delicate work that's accomplished in partnership with women’s shelters, sexual assault centres and the Montreal police department.
And it would be ideal if candidates can speak a variety of languages, aside from English and French, to help communicate with women from a range of cultural backgrounds.
Anyone interested in volunteering or who wants more information is encouraged to visit the group's website.
“The impact our volunteers can have in their community is not an abstract thought or a future-facing reality, it is happening in real-time,” said Hull-Jacquin.
“We moved a family this afternoon in Montreal. I know where we moved them and I can tell you the impact is immediate and lasting not only for the survivor but for her children.”
DEMAND FROM WOMEN IN CRISIS HAS SURGED
At the beginning of the pandemic, phone calls to shelters and police dwindled, as women were forced to live in close quarters with their abusers during COVID lockdowns.
A study led by researchers at the University of Sherbrooke concluded that 22.5 per cent of women in relationships in Montreal are "exposed to domestic violence," a phenomenon that has increased over the past two years.
“Now, as society has opened up, we’re noticing a continuing surge in calls particularly as moving day approaches in Montreal,” Hull-Jacquin said.
He expects the influx of calls for help to continue through much of July.
It's the combination of reopening, moving day and people being away on vacation that has made it difficult to staff the moves, which are all free of charge for the clients, including storage for their belongings if required.
Hull-Jacquin founded Shelter Movers in 2016 and it is now established in six cities across Canada. The registered charity relies on several revenue streams including private donations and a grant from the federal government.
The Montreal-area chapter has been operating since 2020 and has helped move more than 200 Montreal families so far.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.