Charity Helping People Escape Family Violence Sees Demand Triple in Peel Region

Shelter Movers, a volunteer-driven charity that assists survivors of family violence with relocation, reports that demand for its services in the Peel Region has tripled since the charity first began operating there.

Despite this surge, the organization faces challenges due to a shortage of local volunteers, making it difficult to fully meet the rising demand for help. The charity is working to expand its reach in the region to address these gaps in community support.

Shelter Movers offers free moving and storage services for individuals fleeing abusive situations, particularly women and children. Operating in 11 cities across Canada, its Greater Toronto Chapter serves Toronto, York, and Peel Region.

“We support survivors as they transition from unsafe homes to secure housing, with various stages along the way,” explained Meredith Cammisuli, director of the Greater Toronto Chapter. “This may involve temporarily storing their belongings while they stay in shelters or transitional housing, and later moving their belongings into permanent homes once they are available.”

The charity collaborates with referral agencies, community organizations, and storage providers to assist survivors through different stages of their transitions.

Each relocation is coordinated by a small team and executed by volunteers, with some clients receiving multiple rounds of support over several months, depending on their unique needs.

Since its launch in Peel, the demand for Shelter Movers’ services in the region has significantly increased. However, the charity continues to operate within the limits of available resources and referral capacities.

On average, the Greater Toronto Chapter completes 45 moves each month, and it’s on track to help over 500 survivors relocate to safety in 2025, all at no cost to clients.

This growing demand for services comes as gender-based violence is declared an epidemic by over 70 municipalities across Ontario, including several in the Greater Toronto Area and all three municipalities in Peel. These declarations aim to raise awareness of the severity and urgency of the crisis.