Rogers providing six months of voice, data connectivity to Ottawa women’s shelters
Posted Jun 17, 2020 03:03:00 PM.
Rogers is providing cell phones with voice and data connectivity to those in Ottawa's women's shelters, as part of a new initiative aimed at supporting vulnerable residents in the city.
The devices will be provided to local shelters including Cornerstone Housing for Women, Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa, Interval House of Ottawa, and Oshki Kizis Lodge.
The company is also partnering with local Ottawa chapters of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, providing devices with six months of free service to ensure the families and youth get the digital tools and service they need.
Fido is also providing Ottawa's local chapter of Pflag Canada with a tablet and free wireless data to enable virtual peer-to-peer support meetings in support of the LGBTQ2S community.
Cornerstone's senior resource development manager Jessie-Lee Wallace believes it is incredibly important that vulnerable women have access to connectivity in some capacity.
“Some of our women in emergency shelter really don't have anything and the ability to communicate to so essential,” Wallace explains. “What Rogers has given us is the ability to give communication tools to those who need it the most.”
Rogers says with domestic violence rates more on the rise during the pandemic, connectivity for for the most vulnerable has become even more important.
If you are a woman living in an abusive home, or you know someone who is, you can call your local shelter's 24/7 crisis line for advice and support. Find your local shelter and its crisis line at www.sheltersafe.ca.
