Manitoba will soon have its first chapter of Shelter Movers, an organization that provides free moving and storage services for those fleeing abusive living situations.
The group currently has centres in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia.
Founder and CEO Marc Hull-Jacquin said the move to open in Winnipeg comes from data showing “pronounced” violence against women in the city.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES
Marcie Wood, executive director of Willow Place
Saskatchewan and Manitoba had the highest provincial rates of police-reported intimate partner violence in 2022. Manitoba had 633 victims per 100,000 people, Saskatchewan had 730, a report from Statistics Canada shows.
The same data reveals the majority of victims of intimate partner violence are women and girls.
“Our goal here is to reduce the instances of violence against all people, but especially violence against women,” said Hull-Jacquin.
“In the absence of Shelter Movers, survivors face the prospect of losing everything they own when they leave. Or worse, they often will not leave and stay in the abusive relationship because of the risk… when they escape.”
The volunteer-based organization works with survivors of abuse and local shelters to formulate a plan to move someone out of an abusive household. They assess the level of risk, how urgently the move needs to happen and how many items need to be moved before sending out a team of two to four volunteers.
Moves are generally limited to five hours, including packing and driving time, so Shelter Movers can serve clients who live no more than about 90 minutes outside Winnipeg city limits.
A co-ordinator helps engage police, private security or language interpreters, if needed.
“Survivors are the heroes of their own story,” said Hull-Jacquin. “Our staff and volunteers have the privilege of following along with them on a short, short part of a much longer experience.”
There is no limit on how long the organization can hold onto a person’s belongings, and Hull-Jacquin said they expect to help their clients move more than once — often to get them to a shelter to start, and then to help move them into a more permanent home in the community when they’re ready.
Moves are free because of donations and some of the startup costs are covered with funding provided by Women and Gender Equality Canada, a federal government department.
“Shelter Movers provides the degree of empowerment and control over their move,” Hull-Jacquin said. “Survivors have the right to leave their abuser in dignity and safety.”
Shelter Movers will initially partner with Willow Place and Ikwe Widdjiitiwin, both shelters dedicated to helping those experiencing family violence.
Hull-Jacquin said once the Winnipeg chapter gets settled and grows its volunteer base, it will be able to serve more shelters reliably.
Marcie Wood said she thinks Shelter Movers will benefit her clients. While the executive director of Willow Place hasn’t met with anyone from the organization yet, she says they’ve been in contact.
Currently, there are lots of options for financial support for women trying to move out of abusive households, Wood said.
“However, there are a lot of barriers to getting that financial support,” Wood said. “(Shelter Movers will) be able to to provide an expedited moving service with a lot less barriers to it.”
Survivors have to get three quotes for moving or storage services before Willow Place can submit them to Employment and Income Assistance on the client’s behalf.
That process has a lot of “layers” to it and can take a long time. Speed is critical in keeping women safe, said Wood.
It’s important to work with other organizations that are understanding of a person’s situation and that operate using trauma-informed care, she said.
“If (survivors) are able to obtain their belongings as opposed to having to start over… that’s a comfort that many would prefer to have,” Wood said. “Knowing that they have a place in the community to support them goes a long way.”
The new chapter needs between 40 and 50 volunteers, plus a chapter director, to be able to provide reliable service, said Hull-Jacquin. As a result, the hope is to open this fall but there is not a set date yet.
Because of the increase risk of gender-based violence to Indigenous women across Canada, Hull-Jacquin said it’s important to develop meaningful connections with community leaders to honour survivors.
“The more relationships and the better-quality relationships we can foster, the better we will be positioned to support survivors — not only Indigenous women, but all women,” said Hull-Jacquin.
Shelter Movers is seeking chapter director applicants who identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis for the full-time position.
jura.mcilraith@freepress.mb.ca