Shelter Movers

The funds will be used to help communities across Canada and around the world to replicate and adapt Shelter Movers' innovate service to the needs of local women and children fleeing abuse. 

With over 2,200 moves completed to date, Shelter Movers is a tested, proven moving and storage service model that helps break the cycle of abuse by helping survivors leave violence safely and in dignity, with their belongings. 

The funds will help set up leadership structures, establish relationship with local businesses and community agencies, and train volunteers to serve survivors in a trauma-informed, survivor-centred manner. The funds will also identify and recruit women and equality-seeking men as local leaders and champions of Shelter Movers' values and service philosophy. 

The funds will also help Shelter Movers establish a sustainable fundraising system in the countries where it is adopted, to ensure positive, long term impact in the community. 

Most importantly, the funds will be used to seek guidance from survivors on the quality and nature of the services offered by Shelter Movers. The survivor's journey is at the heart of our mandate. Elevate will help ensure this remains true wherever Shelter Movers operates. 

I established Shelter Movers while on parental leave in 2016, in Toronto, Canada. As a father of three, I believe all parents deserve to give their children a safe, loving household like am able to offer my children. 

My family raised me to understand the critical nature of equality between genders, and the intrinsic value in everyone. I was taught to measure my success by what I could do for others, and that everyone can help someone. 

As a White, straight man in Canada, I recognize my privilege and my responsibility to serve as an ally to anyone who does not enjoy the same opportunities afforded to me. 

As the son of an immigrant, I've learned to straddle competing cultures and world views. I believe this experience, along with my academic studies in Anthropology, have encouraged me to attempt to understand the world through the eyes of those who are different from me. 

I strive to create a world where we see the humanity, the struggles and greatness inherent in each of us, regardless of the external packaging of our physical bodies, wealth, orientation, ability or religious beliefs. 

I believe, through service to others, we can create this world. 

Violence against women is a pervasive social problem affected virtually every community around the world. In Canada, over 93,000 incidents of abuse are reported to police every year. This number represents a fraction of the actual total cases, as a large majority of abuse cases go unreported. 

Globally, violence against women and girls has been acknowledged by the United Nations as "one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today." Indeed, ending gender-based violence is listed among the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Shelter Movers aims to address the logistical, security and financials barriers experienced by survivors when they decide to leave their abuser. The risk of elevated violence, including femicide, tend to arise most when a survivor expresses her desire to their abuser. It is at this critical moment that our volunteers and community partners collaborate to provide a safe and dignified space, so survivors can pack, transport and store their belongings with the help of a team of volunteers and professionals at their side. 

Growing evidence shows that helping survivors leave abuse with their belongings, in an empowered manner, can break the cycle of violence for them and their children. 

Shelter Movers is the first organization to integrate a number of women-serving agencies, local businesses, volunteers and law enforcement to respond in real time to the needs of survivors fleeing abuse. 

Our work reminds survivors of their intrinsic power and value by placing a diverse team of volunteers and professionals at their disposal, ready to help them gather and store their belongings, and help them and their children get to a safe / confidential location. 

Similarly, when a survivor has already fled the abusive household, Shelter Movers helps them return to the home to collect their furniture, clothing and prize possessions, in a manner that is their terms and at a pace that is comfortable for them. 

In the absence of Shelter Movers: 

1. Survivors might never leave their abuser, for fear of losing everything they own and falling into poverty;

2. Survivors may leave, but will be limited to 1 or 2 garbage bags of belongings when they arrive at a women's shelter. 

3. Survivors who have already fled may attempt to return to the abusive home alone to quickly collect whatever they can in a short period of time, putting their lives at risk. 

To support sustainable growth, Shelter Movers has created an Expansion Protocol. The Protocol details the steps a new community group must take to demonstrate their ability to establish and maintain a new chapter.

Having replicated this service 5 times beyond Toronto, Canada, Shelter Movers has refined and improved the Expansion Protocol such that we have never had to close a chapter. 

To support new applicant communities, our national leadership team designates a guide. This person helps shepherd new applicant groups through the expansion process, providing training and document templates. 

The expansion process typically takes between 6-12 months.

Shelter Movers has been effective in replicating its service because we invest significantly in training and ongoing oversight of new volunteers and staff. We leverage technology (slack, google suite) to collaborate in real time on document development, policy discussions and engagement events. This helps our team members connect on real issues over long distances.