Shelter Movers is a non-profit Canadian organization that combats gender-based violence by providing free moving and storage services to women leaving abusive homes. What started as a small team of volunteers has expanded into a multi-chapter organization with volunteers from the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia to the west coast in Vancouver.
Shelter Movers is a highly inclusive community that has volunteers from all different walks of life and backgrounds. The Vancouver chapter is composed of a variety of individuals working both on the ground during moves and behind the scenes to ensure the organization operates smoothly.
As Shelter Movers Vancouver continues to expand, our volunteer teams are also growing and serve as a wonderful place to meet passionate people and develop new skills, all while thoughtfully addressing gender-based violence together. There is a role for everyone at Shelter Movers Vancouver!
Meet Our Volunteer Teams
Marketing and Communications
They are the eyes and ears of Shelter Movers Vancouver. The Marketing and Communications team is responsible for social media, fine-tuning each post and creating eye-catching graphic designs. Meanwhile, our content creators are here to engage with the Shelter Movers community by creating meaningful and informative blog content. This can be in the form of unpacking topics within gender-based violence, such as informing readers about violence against women without status or spotlighting different volunteers and celebrating their contributions.
“Whether you are interested in improving your writing skills, learning to analyze data, flexing your illustrative muscles, or even spearheading a new project: ask for what you want and take initiative to get there!”
Volunteer Services
Our Volunteer Services branch is the bones of Shelter Movers Vancouver. They are responsible for engaging with volunteers and building passionate volunteer teams. Thanks to them, all volunteers get to participate in trivia events, team socials, and town-hall meetings that foster dynamic conversations and collaboration. Additionally, volunteer services are the heart of our moves because they help organize our moving teams and moving days for clients.
With the Volunteer Services team, “verbal and written communication skills, facilitation and public speaking and engagement” are all skills to learn and practice!
Operations
The Operations team is the glue of Shelter Movers Vancouver — without them, coordinating moves smoothly would be impossible! Luckily, they are here to facilitate moves and provide the necessary tools and resources that our clients require from us. They organize additional security services to guarantee a high-level of safety for our clients, partnering with local moving companies for additional storage or packing materials, and more. The Operations team goes above and beyond to ensure that moves are highly coordinated, acting as the main point of contact for our clients and volunteers. They are core to the intake process of our clients, create itineraries for moves and initiate the moving process. In this way, our end goals at Shelter Movers Vancouver are met with the fullest potential.
“Communicating with empathy and providing trauma-informed care” are meaningful skills to acquire as an operations member!
Fund Development
The main goal of our Fund Development team is to keep fuelling the momentum of Shelter Movers Vancouver! As a relatively new chapter of Shelter Movers, our main source of funding is through grants. Therefore it is highly important for our Fund Development team to create personable connections with our grant streams because they allow us to continue helping our clients. Some of our grant streams include: private donors, provincial grants, and grant assistance from other organizations such as Woman and Gender Equality Canada. An important fundraising day includes Giving Tuesday, and in the past, we have managed to secure partnerships with organizations such as the Foundation Mortgage Professionals Canada to match donations.
We are excited to “diversify our revenue streams to help us fulfill our mission and increase financial sustainability”!
Recently, Shelter Movers Vancouver reached the milestone of 500th moves completed, which speaks not only to the abundance of individuals fleeing abuse, but also to how our organization is built upon the contributions of numerous volunteers with the collective goal of simply providing the support that many survivors need.
As we continue to expand our Shelter Movers Vancouver chapter, our teams are ready to support new volunteers. If you are passionate about raising awareness about gender-based violence, we are confident there is a role for you with Shelter Movers Vancouver!
Please visit our volunteer page for more information on how you can help change the lives of many members of your community.