In 2020, 160 girls were murdered due to violence in Canada, to put things into perspective that's one death every 2.3 days. Both family and women's shelters serve as a safe place for women and children escaping violence and in times of need. The families are provided with shelter, clothing, food, etc. while receiving emotional support and focusing on their next steps. Many  shelters do not simply give people a temporary place to stay, but continue to support the families as they take their next steps and reintroduce themselves to the community.

Most of the funding for these charities come from donations from supporters and we believe the government should be giving more funding towards them. These shelters deserve a consistent stream of money to spend on the families. In 2020, the government gave around 63.54 million towards women's shelters and sexual assault shelters, which seems like a lot until it's taken into account that over 500 shelters exist in Ontario alone. This means each shelter got around 12.7 thousand in funding. Shelters need much more than that yearly as they provide millions with housing and other necessities. With this current funding, one shelter alone had to turn away 650 women and children. Without a change, families will continue to be forced to stay in dangerous situations due to the threat of homelessness. 

We are urging you to sign this petition so that your voice is heard in the urgency of government funding to these shelters