With the launch of Sheltersafe.ca, women and children across the country will have a one-stop connection to help in their community.
Any time of day or night women can find local support through Sheltersafe.ca. The new site provides a single point of information for women seeking safety by quickly identifying a shelter within a geographic region.
The map provides telephone numbers and websites, while protecting the confidential locations of shelters.
Sheltersafe.ca also underlines that women do not need to reside in a shelter resident in order to access shelter services, because in addition to being a safe place to stay, many shelters offer telephone support, counselling and safety planning for women in crisis.
Sheltersafe.ca quickly points concerned family, friends and neighbours to someone they can talk to about suspected abuse of a loved one.
“The most typical experience for victims of domestic violence is isolation. A map indicating hundreds of points of light, of hope, and of safety is more than a tool. It is a reminder that you are not alone, it is a reminder that whether you live in a large urban centre or in a remote community, there is domestic violence and that there are resources that can help,” said Dawna Pritchard, a Manitoba shelter director.
Ann Elmore Transition House is a founding participant in the Sheltersafe.ca initiative and can be found by zooming into the Campbell River region on the map of Canada.