If volunteers don’t come forward soon, women may have to wait to leave abusive partners, said an organization that provides free moving services to women and children fleeing violence.
A few days before the moving period, Transit Secours, a pan-Canadian non-profit organization, lacks the manpower to move dozens of women and children.
“We work with a number of community organizations that rely on our services,” Transit Secours Montreal branch manager Renata Fuchs Militzer said in a statement Monday. We risk having to delay or cancel moves for families in crisis, due to the low availability of volunteers.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the organization has seen a sharp increase in demand. Transit Secours cited a recent study by the University of Sherbrooke which concludes that 22.5% of women in couples are exposed to domestic violence in Montreal.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of relocation requests due to the increase in gender-based violence and the current housing crisis,” said Renata Fuchs Militzer.
People who are interested in becoming a volunteer are invited to consult www.transitsecours.com.
Transit Secours can currently count on more than 2,000 volunteers in Canada. Since its creation in 2016, the organization has already carried out more than 4,000 moves and also provides free storage services to women and children fleeing violence.
