TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When Glen’s wife assaulted him with a weapon, he reached out for help. Police dismissed his allegations, victim support agencies denied him service and shelters would not accept him and his son. Glen was trapped between an abusive partner and homelessness.
In response to dozens of similar stories, a fundraising campaign is now underway to make Toronto the first metropolitan city in North America offering a shelter dedicated to male victims of domestic violence - and their children.
Prominent men’s issues charity Canadian Association for Equality has raised over $200,000 toward its $250,000 fundraising goal. These funds include a grant from the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation, funded by the Toronto Real Estate Board.
The charity is hosting a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign to complete the final leg of its fundraising. The campaign will conclude on December 31st and if successful the shelter is expected to open in 2018.
“Imagine you and your child live each day in fear of violence, but no one believes you because you're a man,” said CAFE Executive Director Justin Trottier. “That is the situation for thousands of fathers in Canada every year, and for over 400 men in Toronto that reached out to us in desperation this year alone.”
Single father families are the fastest growing family form in Canada. Yet while the caregiving role of dads quickly expands, fathers who are suffering violence in the home still have no safe place designed for them and their children.
CAFE has been operating a thriving men’s health and social service facility, the Canadian Centre for Men and Families, for the last three years in Toronto. It opened a sister office in Ottawa this fall.
Information on the Campaign is available at https://www.gofundme.com/abusedmenshelter/
CONTACT
Justin Trottier
Executive Director
Canadian Association for Equality
jtrottier@equalitycanada.com
416-402-8856