Helping make home a safe place for everyone

 

This spring season, I'm feeling so much pride in our collective accomplishments for 2022, and excitement for what’s ahead at the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation in 2023. Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we were delighted to announce $3.25 million raised last year. Well into our milestone 25th year, we have now raised more than $41 million! 

 

Looking ahead, we will soon be unveiling two new fundraising programs (stay tuned!) and we are eagerly anticipating our Ecuador Challenge for Shelter, which will see 120 adventurous Royal LePage professionals trek for 5 days towards one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. My heartfelt thanks go out to all those who have already helped our trekkers raise more than $340,000 for women's shelters across the country. 

 

Then, there’s the context for why we do what we do, and that’s never been more important. We were sadly reminded of this as recently as March 31, 2023. On that day, the Mass Casualty Commission’s Final Report was released, arising from the devastating mass murders of April 2020 in Portapique, NS. The Commission declared gender-based violence to be an epidemic. In the words of Lise Martin, executive director of Women’s Shelters Canada (supported since inception by the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation), “The idea that domestic violence is a private matter is flawed and dangerous. We know that most mass casualty events are preceded by gender-based violence, and if we deal effectively with that issue, we can prevent violence both within and outside the home.”

 

Past, present and future, thank you for taking pride in the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and making it the charity of choice for Royal LePage agents and their community of supporters who believe that home should be a safe place for everyone.

 

With gratitude,

 

Lisa Gibbs 

Executive Director