Although social distancing is the best practice to combat a viral pandemic and should be taken seriously, many survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault will experience increased violence during this time, as for them, social isolation and quarantine periods may mean spending extended periods of time alone with their abusers. Research suggests that disaster situations lead to increased instances of gender-based violence. This means that during this state of emergency, women are at risk of experiencing increased instances of intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, and emotional abuse. For example, In China, they are already reporting a spike in domestic violence during the imposition of mandatory quarantines. As a community, we need to be prepared to accommodate a similar pattern here in Canada. SAVIS of Halton’s 24/7 crisis line is continuing to operate throughout this pandemic, to ensure survivors have access to emotional support, safety planning, and systems navigation. SAVIS of Halton has already seen a massive spike in the number of crisis calls we are receiving from survivors in the community. SAVIS of Halton wants the community to know that we are fully prepared to continue to provide emotional trauma-informed support throughout the duration of this pandemic, and that phone/zoom sessions are available for emergency clients who require increased crisis supports. Additionally, SAVIS of Halton's counselors are continuing to support their clients through regularly scheduled phone and zoom sessions. During this time of social isolation, SAVIS of Halton’s wants survivors to know they are not alone, and that we are here to help.

Are need in this time of COVID 19 is to provide our clients with online gift cards for groceries and to have funds available for emergency housing.

Please consider helping our clients today.