Shelter Movers in Montreal looking for volunteers

Shelter Movers in Montreal is looking for volunteers to help women and families trying to break free from intimate partner violence and start fresh. The organization provides moving and storage services for women in these dangerous situations.

“We unfortunately have a lot of calls, a lot of demands for the service and we’re the only one of a kind here,” said Anathalie Jean-Charles, chapter director of Shelter Movers.

The group is looking for many kinds of volunteers to meet rising demand, saying they receive between 6 to 10 calls per week.

“We have movers and drivers, so these are the people will be going to the moves helping the client get out, get her boxes out and in the new place. We also have people who are taking care of scheduling and also monitoring, so coordinators,” said Jean-Charles.

“The most dangerous point of time for a woman victim of violence is the point when she decides to leave, to leave a relationship, to leave a house, to leave everything that was connected to her abuse of life before,” said Melpa Kamateros, executive director for Shield of Athena.

According to a 2023 report from l’Institut de la statistique du Quebec, nearly 40 per cent of women in the province and 26 per cent of men have experienced some form of physical or psychological abuse perpetrated by their partner.

“From the pandemic, we’ve seen a rise in the severity of femicides and a rise in the demand for shelter, a rise in the demand of social housing for women to go to after they’re staying in a shelter,” said Kamateros.

Jean-Charles says the service is critical because individuals seeking their help are at a very challenging time in their lives and are in desperate need of support.

She adds, “What happened is that when women had to get out, she only could take two bags of plastic, well to garbage bags basically, to get out with most of the time the stuff for kids and nothing for her.”

Jean-Charles says potential volunteers can get in contact with the organization via email.

“We’re really there from the beginning to the end of her journey so as long as she needs us will be there for her.”