The Moncton chapter of Shelter Movers, a volunteer organization helping victims of intimate partner violence move and store their belongings free of charge on short notice, needs help to meet demand.
“From speaking with Crossroads for Women, YWCA and Harvest House, those three referring agencies have estimated that people will need the services up to 25 times a month,” Moncton Shelter Movers director Renée Charron told Global News in an interview on Wednesday.
The organization has already helped move 12 households with help from its 40 volunteers.
“There are no words to describe the feeling when you are on a move and you’re helping a client move on with their lives and out of the abuser’s home, especially sometimes when the abuser is present,” Charron said.
“You can really see a change in the dynamic in their personality when they are there and when they leave and that sigh of relief.”
It’s the national organization’s first New Brunswick chapter. It’s been operating unofficially since April, but officially launched this week.
Marc Hull-Jacquin, founder and CEO of Shelter Movers Transit de secours, said in an interview that they often have to move quickly to get people out of vulnerable situations.
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“We will assess the risk that they’re facing and the urgency of their move, and that allows us to organize a team of volunteers, maybe a language interpreter, maybe private security, maybe pet fostering or whatever she needs in the moment,” he said.
He said the organization is also seeking monetary donations to cover the cost of gas, truck rentals and other expenses.
Katey Altman of the New Brunswick South Central Transition House and Second Stage Coalition, an organization that helps women and children, applauds the initiative, saying it addresses one of the many barriers faced by those wanting to leave abusive households.
“A big one of the challenges could be financial costs of leaving, depending on what their financial situation is, depending on what their financial situation is, if it’s tied to the person perpetrating the abuse,” she said on Wednesday.
“We know that affordable housing is hard to come by right now and there’s a high cost of living.”
Provincial tenancy laws allow victims of violence to break their lease early, paying only one month, rather than the usually required three-month notice on a year-to-year lease.
Though leaving an abusive household can be daunting during a housing crisis, Charron urges victims to make the call to ensure their safety.
“There’s always a place to go,” she said.
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