Airbnb donates $115K to North Bay sexual violence support centre

Amelia Rising received $115,000 from Airbnb to expand counselling, prevention, and outreach for gender-based violence survivors across Nipissing District.

Amelia Rising Sexual Violence Support Centre is getting a big financial boost to help its clients, who are victims of gender-based violence.

The centre, based out of North Bay, Ont., was given $115,000 as part of a community fund through Airbnb.

Airbnb made six donations, totalling more than $660,000, to organizations across Ontario that focus on ending abuse and exploitation, combatting human trafficking and strengthening support for the vulnerable population.

“This support from the Airbnb community foundation will allow us to strengthen the essential support services we offer survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking across the Nipissing District,” wrote Amelia Rising executive director Daniella Northrup in messages to CTV News.

Amelia Rising plans to use the money to expand its counselling, prevention programs and advocacy services to deliver trauma-informed care and education.

“In addition to expanding outreach services to our rural and remote communities, our team is also exploring opportunities to increase prevention programming and supporting the support people of the survivors we serve,” Northrup added.

According to Amelia Rising’s latest statistics, on average, intervention staff and counselors spend more than 60 hours a week providing individual counselling and support for 20 clients with group counselling also offered, while running prevention workshops for thousands of community members every year with service demands growing.

“We work very closely with our community partners in the social services and justice sector to ensure survivors receive comprehensive wrap-around supports,” wrote Northrup.

According to Statistics Canada, from 2011-2021, an average of 102 women and girls were victims of gender-related homicide per year in Canada, totaling 1,125 over that time.

Of these homicides, 93 per cent were committed by a male intimate partner or family member of the victim.

Statistics also show that more than 11 million people in Canada have experienced intimate partner violence (a type of gender-based violence) at least once since the age of 15.

This donation is part of Airbnb’s largest-ever annual contribution to Canadian organizations and it has invested approximately $2 million in more two dozen organizations across Canada since its inception in 2020.

“Gender-based violence continues to be far too prevalent in Canadian communities. It is something that we all have a responsibility to work on to ensure that we are equipping those incredible organizations and the incredible people that work at those organizations to make sure that that people who are facing these really awful situations have somewhere to turn,” said Airbnb’s policy lead for Canada Alex Howell.

Amelia Rising told CTV News anyone who has experienced gender-based violence can reach out to its team for free and confidential support by calling 705-840-2403 or by accessing its 24/7 crisis line at 705-476-3355.

“Without generous support like this we would not be able to offer the extensive list of services we do to survivors in a timely manner,” added Northrup.