For many of us, our home is our castle — a place where we feel safe and protected. But sadly, for too many women and children their home is a dangerous, violent place — their castle comes instead in the form of a shelter where they can find a temporary refuge from harm.

Women’s shelters in the Ottawa region are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, but they also rely heavily on charitable fundraising and donations to help them meet the demand and provide emergency supplies such as diapers, toiletries, medicine and other essential items to women who often show up with nothing. It also allows for a few extras such as an outing for the women’s support group and craft activities for the kids.

Some of that charitable help is coming from the real estate industry.

In a profession that operates on buying and selling homes, it only makes sense that a real estate company would feel a compulsion to help provide a safe haven for families in need. The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women’s shelters and violence prevention programs. Since 1999, it has raised $12 million to support more than 30,000 women and children in 200 shelters across Canada, including six local shelters.

“Royal LePage agents, brokers and staff are committed to giving back to the communities in which they live and work,” says the foundation’s executive director, Shanan Spencer-Brown. “Many of our agents donate a portion of their commission to raise funds and awareness to end family violence, as well as volunteer their time and hold special community events.”

Now in its third year, Royal LePage’s Annual National Garage Sale for Shelter has raised over $415,000 to date, and is being held this year in more than 120 communities throughout the country on Saturday, May 14. There will be nine garage sale locations around the Ottawa area, and Royal LePage offices are accepting donations of gently used items, in addition to encouraging the community to come out and visit their nearest garage sale.

“All of our administrative costs are underwritten by Royal LePage, so 100 per cent of every dollar raised goes directly to the shelters and the violence prevention programs we fund,” adds Spencer-Brown. She says that funds stay in the community in which they are raised and have been used to build new shelters and playgrounds, develop therapy and education programs, as well as provide supplies and gifts to brighten up life in the shelter.

Chrysalis House in Kanata has been providing emergency shelter to women and children escaping violence at home since it opened in 2004. The 10-bedroom shelter has room for 25 residents, but typically accommodates between 30 to 32.

“We are only funded for 25 beds, and sometimes we can have a family of five in one bedroom,” explains support worker Kerri Bjornson, who has worked there since the shelter opened. “Statistically, we turn away two to seven women a day and summer is an especially busy time of year for us because kids are out of school and this is often when women make the transition.”

On average, women stay at the shelter for two to three months, depending on their situation. In addition to providing the basics of room and food, the counselling services at the shelter include practical and emotional support to help with legal and financial matters, deal with schools, and find safe, affordable housing. These services extend to an outreach program that is available for up to six months after the women leave the shelter and they also operate a 24-hour crisis line.

Bjornson has thousands of both sad and inspiring stories about the lives of those who have passed through Chrysalis House, but a particularly memorable one involved a 70-year-old woman. “She was scared after spending many years with a husband who was financially, emotionally and physically abusive. He had always told her that she could leave anytime, but couldn’t take anything with her because she had never worked, had no money and nothing belonged to her.”

After four months at the shelter she had learned what she was entitled to and with legal assistance was later able to move into her own home. She now lives on a tight budget but gets to makes all her own decisions on what to buy, eat and where to go. “I still see her once in a while,” says Bjornson. “And she is this independent, assertive, empowered woman who is making a great life for herself.”

Royal LePage garage sale

What: City-wide garage sale to benefit area women’s shelters

When: Saturday, May 14Where: At nine area Royal LePage offices: Alta Vista (2344 Renfield Rd.); Kanata (591 March Rd.); Orléans (at Grace Presbyterian Church, 1220 Old Tenth Line Rd.); Gloucester (4188 Spratt Rd.); Manotick (5510 Manotick, Main St. & 1096 Bridge St.); Stittsville (6081 Hazeldean Rd.); Carleton Place (24 Lansdowne Ave.), and; Kemptville (2705 County Rd.)Times: They vary by location. Start times range from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and they run until 1 or 2 p.m.

Information & to donate: Call the office closest to you or visit www.royallepage.ca/shelter