As we look back on 2021, the Shelter Movers community has a lot to be proud of. Despite the fact that we were faced with the challenges surrounding the third and now fourth wave of the pandemic, our volunteers, community partners, and donors continued to show up for women and children experiencing violence and abuse across our province. Because of the time, energy and commitment of you – our community – we managed to reach many milestones.
One of the highlights of our year was having the opportunity to meet with the Honourable Marci Ien, the new federal minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth. She visited Nova Scotia to meet frontline workers and volunteers within the violence against women sector to prepare for her new mandate. As we head into 2022, we look forward to working with her to help support survivors of gender-based violence and address the sociocultural factors that influence abusive behaviour.
Operational Milestones
In 2021, Shelter Movers Nova Scotia turned two. It wasn’t long after this celebration that our chapter reached the milestone of completing 400 moves. This would not have been possible without volunteers and our community partners who donate their time and services.
A handful of these 400 moves came from Chrysalis House in the Annapolis Valley, which is where our latest service extension reaches. This extension allows us to reach 60% of the population in Nova Scotia and brings us one step closer to achieving our goal of providing moving and storage services at no cost to women and children fleeing abuse across the province.
Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. To celebrate them and the work they do, Shelter Movers Nova Scotia hosted a holiday event where we announced our very first Volunteer of the Month. Congratulations to Katie R. who is one of our Move Coordination Supervisors! Katie goes above and beyond her role by volunteering at events and assisting as a Lead Mover when needed.
If you have ever been interested in being a Lead Mover, or want to learn more about what the role entails, consider joining our new Lead Mover Club. If you’re already a Lead Mover and want to meet your peers and reap some rewards for all your hard work, you too are invited to join! Treats are always provided and there is a door prize to be won.
Reaching Fundraising Targets
For the second year in a row, Shelter Movers participated in the Blue Nose Marathon Charity Challenge. With a team of 15 hobby and professional runners, we managed to raise over $14,500 to support our mission. In celebration and commitment of our newest extension, the Shelter Movers Running Team made the decision to donate 50% of the earnings to our operations in the Annapolis Valley.
While everybody played a part in making this event the success that it was, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge a few contributors in particular!
- An anonymous partner in the community matched up to $5,000 worth of donations
- Scotiabank awarded our team a prize donation of $1,500
- Our top three fundraisers Luke, Katherine, and Connor raised a cumulative amount of $2,938
New Leadership
A lot of change happened within the Nova Scotia leadership team this past year.
Having moved from Ontario, our Chapter Director Erica More, was happy to join the team and have the opportunity to permanently call Nova Scotia home. Shortly after, she was joined by Meghan Lawrence, our Operations Manager who had been a longstanding volunteer of the organization. Similarly, after multiple volunteer roles and summer student positions, Alexandra Doane took on the role of Volunteer Services Manager.
Together, with the support of Lynsey Meisner from Marketing and Communications, the new leadership team is excited to see the impact that the Shelter Movers community will have on families across Nova Scotia in 2022.
Approaching the New Year Safely
As 2022 approaches, Shelter Movers will continue to prioritize the health and safety of volunteers, clients and staff. Our COVID-19 protocols will continue to be adapted as we learn more about the virus, and we will continue to work with JOLCAR Security and Avis Budget, who keep us safe and allow for anonymity while on moves.
Keep an eye out for Mover/Driver Training, which is a quarterly event that we host in partnership with Maritime Pro Movers to ensure that our volunteers are prepared to safely lift and transport survivors’ belongings.
Warmest holiday wishes to you and your loved ones from the Shelter Movers Nova Scotia leadership team! We look forward to connecting with our community in the new year so that we can continue to improve the work we are doing in the violence against women sector and build stronger relationships with our volunteers and donors.
