TORONTO — A new website aims to give women and children seeking shelter from domestic abuse a one-stop connection to help.
The Shelter Safe website (www.sheltersafe.ca) provides a clickable map of roughly 400 shelters across Canada, as well as 24-hour contact information and links to their websites.
The group behind the site says the map doesn't reveal the exact location of shelters in order to protect women's safety, but allows those seeking help to get in touch with facilities quickly and easily.
The Canadian Network of Women's Shelters and Transition Houses says women don't need to stay in shelters to make use of services offered there, such as counselling, safety planning and advice on navigating the legal system.
The organization's executive director, Lise Martin, says the site will show women in crisis that there is a network of support they can rely on.
She says it's important for women fleeing abuse to know they are not alone.
"When you're in a time of crisis ... there's so much information and it's so easy to get lost," Martin said. "That's why we felt it was really important to have that single point."
The site will also ensure women get up-to-date and accurate contact information for the shelters, she said.
"In a time of crisis, you really can't afford to be scrambling around."
