Taking action to help victims of domestic abuse in Sudbury
The Sudbury YWCA is taking part in a new initiative called the National Emergency Survivor Support (NESS) Fund.
It provides immediate financial support to people suffering gender-based violence.
The fund is designed to help women, trans, two-spirit or gender diverse people and their families to escape abusive situations and begin rebuilding their lives.
Officials at the YWCA in Sudbury said the one-time financial support of up to $2,000 is to help survivors of gender-based violence leave abusive living conditions, emergency shelters or precarious living situations.
"We know that the No. 1 of the number reasons people give for not being able to leave is a lack of finances," said Marlene Gorman, the executive director of YWCA Sudbury.
Gorman said the only shelter in the Sudbury district for women escaping violence has seen a sharp increase in demand since pandemic restrictions were lifted.
"We know that people are really struggling to find a safe affordable place, so the fund will help them with different needs," said Gorman.
"Sometimes people need help to get out, they need moving and storage support. They need support to cover maybe some rental arrears so that they can access other apartments or to cover that last month's rent."
Police in Sudbury said they have seen an increase in intimate partner/domestic violence calls in the last two years.
"Since the onset of the pandemic Greater Sudbury Police Service has seen a marked increase of 16 per cent of calls for service which involve intimate partner violence calls which are domestic violence calls," said Sgt. Hally Willmott.
Willmott said there are a number of resources and places people can turn to if they find themselves in a threatening situation.
"Go to our website (GSPS.CA), go to victim services within that page there is a number of resources that I urge people to go and check out," she said.
"If they are suffering in silence, please reach out to somebody, understand that there are services out there to help you and the Greater Sudbury Police Service is also there to help you."
Sudbury is one of 12 communities across the country that is part of the NESS Fund. The YWCA said it's actively fundraising to expand the initiative.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.