#Toronto #realestatemarket #EastToHappyHourPodcast

Welcome to the EastTo Happy Hour podcast, Episode 06 of Season 01.

We talked to Marc Hull-Jacquin, founder and Executive Director of Shelter Movers. He wanted to positively impact his community. While on paternity leave in 2016, Marc started examining gender-based violence in Canada and soon realized how difficult and dangerous it can be for people experiencing abuse to leave their abuser.

Determined to make a difference, he began developing a concept for a free moving service. With guidance from local shelters and community agencies, Marc and a small team of volunteers developed a survivor-centred, free moving and storage service to fill a critical gap for people leaving abuse.

Shelter Movers’ is the only service of its kind in Canada. Today, we are powered by over 2,060 volunteers across Canada and operate in Greater Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Nova Scotia, Vancouver and Waterloo. Since 2016, we have completed over 3,400 moves, transitioning women and their children to lives free of abuse.

In 2021, Shelter Movers was the first Canadian organization recognized by the French Red Cross and the Spanish Red Cross’ RED Social Innovation – a designation that is granted to organizations that meet distinct criteria related to social impact, innovation, accessibility, and viability.