PATHS (Providing Avenues To Hope Society) walks alongside individuals facing the unimaginable - living under the threat of domestic violence, relational abuse, and stalking. As a small, volunteer-run grassroots organization, we’ve always believed that every person deserves to feel safe, heard, and valued, no matter their circumstances.

Our Domestic Violence Response Program (DVRP) was created to meet a critical need in our community. Too often, people at risk have nowhere to turn once shelters reach capacity or when traditional supports can’t fully meet their situation. The DVRP steps into that gap, offering personal protection, empowerment, and safety to those who need it most.

*In 2023, in Alberta, local shelters saw a 12.5% increase in calls and more than 65% of survivors surveyed were at severe or extreme risk of being killed by a current or former partner. 90% of the referrals to PATHS are to support these high-risk situations.

Through this unique initiative, individuals who could never afford advanced safety measures on their own gain access to tools and services that can truly change—and save—their lives. Our experienced representatives use the most up-to-date safety technology and strategies to provide threat assessments, personal safety devices, and technical interventions for cyber-stalking. Most importantly, we do this while walking beside each person with care and dignity, collaborating closely with police, shelters, and other community services to keep them safe while investigations unfold.

Because PATHS is powered primarily by volunteers, and our overhead is kept extremely low, your support goes a lot further toward protecting lives. Unlike larger organizations, we don’t have access to major donors or vast funding streams. This means that every single contribution has a direct and tangible impact. A donation to PATHS helps provide immediate safety for someone who is scared, isolated, and in urgent need of protection.

At our core, we believe in upholding those who are oppressed, giving them a voice when they are not being heard, and empowering them to discover their strength and worth. Each person we help is more than a statistic—they are someone’s friend, sibling, child, parent, or neighbor.

Your support makes their safety possible and your kindness helps us continue this life-saving work.

*Source: Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters 2023 Data Release