May is Sexual Assault Prevention Month, here's what we are doing to help...

For the past two months, Canadians have been asked to remain at home in isolation and to go out only when necessary. The sad reality though is that ‘home’ is not safe for all women. Imagine being locked at home 24/7 for 60 days with a man who calls you names, hits you and sexually abuses you. He is with you all the time and the social isolation and the financial pressures are making him even angrier…. and you cannot even make a phone call for help.

This has been the reality for some women in our community – women who are victims of physical and sexual abuse. Our phone lines during COVID have been eerily quiet – we call it the ‘scary silence’. When the phone does ring, it is most often our police services who have attended an incident at a home and taken the woman out for her safety. We have seen escalated and more violent attacks during this time.

We have and we will continue to provide services throughout COVID. Our shelter and counselling services remain open and available to women. We are concerned for their safety now more than ever.

May is Sexual Assault Prevention Month. As you struggle with your own self-isolation and physical distancing, please remember these women. They need your support and your help. If you can make a financial contribution to help us help them, please do so.