First Shelter for Abused Men & Kids

MAJOR UPDATE

We are 93% of the way to opening the first Family Shelter for abused fathers and children, having raised over $465,000! Meanwhile we have secured mortgage financing arrangements for the remaining funds. And we’ve identified several potential sites - within our budget -  that could serve as the first home for abused fathers and children. Check out these beautiful spaces.

The pieces are quickly coming together. There’s only one last hurdle. We still have a relatively modest funding gap of just 7% of the total project budget. Yet there is light at the end of the tunnel. A consortium of 11 of our donors have jointly pledged to match up to $80,000.

That means if we’re successful in this final leg of our journey we will reach our ultimate goal of $500,000 and we’ll be in a position to open the shelter this year!

And we must be successful. We now receive calls each and every day from fathers in crisis, desperately seeking safe shelter and victim services. For too long these fathers have been told that they and their children were ineligible for support simply on account of their gender.

That’s why your help at this time is critical. Please donate or renew your support now by making a tax-deductible contribution and become a part of this landmark project. On behalf of the hundreds of fathers and children in crisis whose lives you are about to transform, we thank you for your generosity.

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We're working to open Toronto's first shelter for male victims of domestic abuse - and their children. Will you be a part of this historic campaign?

Breaking News: Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation, funded by the Toronto Real Estate Board, awards us a $10,000 Grant!

All donations receive a charity receipt, which means you could get up to 40% back in tax benefits. 

Family Shelter for Men and Children - Executive Summary 

Family Shelter for Men and Children - Full Research Backgrounder 

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Hello and welcome to the Canadian Centre for Men and Families. The Centre has become a place of hope and transformation for boys, men and fathers in our community who often come to us when no other support is available.  And now we and they need you. 

Since we opened our doors, every day we get calls from men desperately searching for a safe haven from an abusive partner. Many of these callers are fathers with children and they have no place to go.

Steve Dolk: The Impossible Situation for Abused Fathers. Watch the video at https://youtu.be/Z0JUDSc4qbk

Now imagine you and your child live each day in fear of violence, but no one believes you because you're a man. That is the situation for thousands of fathers every year.  Although it may be hard to believe, Statistics Canada data and sociological research is clear: men suffer domestic abuse at rates comparable to women, yet their access to vital support services including crisis centres and emergency counselling is almost non-existent.

The critical missing piece are domestic abuse shelters for fathers and children. 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 where they can escape with their children.

If governments are reluctant to step up then it’s time for you and I to lead by example. That’s what an amazing team of philanthropists did when they donated an initial $150,000 to build Toronto’s first Family Shelter for Abused Men and Children.

This could be the game changer we’ve been waiting for, but only if we each take the initiative.

In the last few years, shelters for abused men and children have begun to pop up in small towns in places like Arkansas and Texas, but if we’re successful here we will open the first shelter for abused men and children in any metropolitan municipality in North America.

If we're successful we can be the lifeline for so many families in desperate need of help. If we’re successful the effects will be felt far beyond Toronto for we will have sparked a critical change in the conversation around gender and victimization, and that means more support for all vulnerable families. 

This is is your chance to guarantee that success and to be a part of this landmark initiative. 

The time has come for all of us to take a bold step. Your support is absolutely critical for us to capitalize on the foundation that has been built.  

That’s why we are asking you to please make a gift at this time and to and work with us to bring the first shelter for abused men and children to Canada’s largest city. All donations receive a charity receipt, which means you could get up to 40% back in tax benefits.

We are offering a variety of rewards for different levels of contribution. Please note that you will receive all rewards both at your level and at all levels below.

Thank you so for your interest. We are eager to join forces with you on a special project that will greatly improve many lives.