Need Safety? Neighbours Here to Help.
The intention of this initiative is to address the growing hate and violence targeted towards marginalized, and at-risk people in our communities that may make it difficult to do regular life tasks without fear. We are here to provide safety for those situations, for those people who feel unsafe in some public spaces.
Who We Are.
My name is Laurie, and my husband is Tahir. We are both in our 40's, originally from Ontario but moved to Nova Scotia in 2014 and have settled in Halifax. We don't have children, but have a cat named Big George.
I am a white woman working in the health and wellness field, and completing a degree in Adult Education. My family is of Ukrainian and Italian descent; my father an immigrant who came to Canada from Italy when he was a teenager. I have been working to raise awareness about the ongoing apartheid and genocide happening to the Palestinian people, and trying to encourage my colleagues and peers to start to speak up and speak louder.
Tahir is a brown man who is now retired from the Canadian military. Several years ago he was diagnosed with a mental health injury that was directly related to his military service. His family is of Pakistani descent, and he can speak and understand (to varying degrees) Urdu, and Punjabi. Tahir has had many experiences where he was the target of racism and hate. He is currently on a break from his studies in immigration consulting/law, looking towards a possible career in law and/or immigration, but for now is working on improving his mental and physical health after being medically released from the military.
We welcome requests from anyone experiencing real or perceived violence related to their religion, race/ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.
This is a picture of us after Tahir made me do a muddy ride through the hills of Mexico while we were visiting my brother and his wife. I look happy, but I really just want a shower :) lol
For now, this work involves us, but I am hoping to add more community members so that we can make sure everyone is safe and supported. In the event that we add more support people, you can be assured that they will be properly vetted, including in-person or video calls, a review of their social media activity and a look into their current affiliations. If you would like to offer your support, please scroll down to the contact form.
I am a white woman working in the health and wellness field, and completing a degree in Adult Education. My family is of Ukrainian and Italian descent; my father an immigrant who came to Canada from Italy when he was a teenager. I have been working to raise awareness about the ongoing apartheid and genocide happening to the Palestinian people, and trying to encourage my colleagues and peers to start to speak up and speak louder.
Tahir is a brown man who is now retired from the Canadian military. Several years ago he was diagnosed with a mental health injury that was directly related to his military service. His family is of Pakistani descent, and he can speak and understand (to varying degrees) Urdu, and Punjabi. Tahir has had many experiences where he was the target of racism and hate. He is currently on a break from his studies in immigration consulting/law, looking towards a possible career in law and/or immigration, but for now is working on improving his mental and physical health after being medically released from the military.
We welcome requests from anyone experiencing real or perceived violence related to their religion, race/ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.
This is a picture of us after Tahir made me do a muddy ride through the hills of Mexico while we were visiting my brother and his wife. I look happy, but I really just want a shower :) lol
For now, this work involves us, but I am hoping to add more community members so that we can make sure everyone is safe and supported. In the event that we add more support people, you can be assured that they will be properly vetted, including in-person or video calls, a review of their social media activity and a look into their current affiliations. If you would like to offer your support, please scroll down to the contact form.
How It Works...
We are here to offer presence with daily tasks and outings where you may feel unsafe to do these things on your own. If you feel unsafe going to the grocery store, taking your child to an event or don't feel safe using public transportation... we are here to help.
We can go with you to the grocery store to provide safety in numbers. We can complete errands for you if you do not have transportation and feel unsafe taking a bus. We can meet you at the mall if you need to shop for new clothes for your children. We can go to the post office, bank or government office with you if you feel afraid to go alone. For everyone's safety, we will not be going to peoples homes or exchanging home addresses, but we will meet in public places.
Step 1: Contact Us - Reach out using the contact form below and tell us what you need and when. We will set up a time to have a quick video chat so that you can determine if you feel safe with us, and so that you know how to identify us when we meet.
Step 2: Make a Date - After the video call, and when you determine that you feel safe with us, we will arrange a date, time and place to meet and complete the task you need done. If you need us to pick something up or run an errand for you, we will arrange the details of how that is to be done.
Step 3: Do the thing.That's it.
NOTE: This is NOT a paid service. This is an opportunity to extend humanity beyond our own circle of family and friends, into our community. We will not accept money. The only money that may be exchanged will be for items we pick up that are associated with a purchase for something you need.
We can go with you to the grocery store to provide safety in numbers. We can complete errands for you if you do not have transportation and feel unsafe taking a bus. We can meet you at the mall if you need to shop for new clothes for your children. We can go to the post office, bank or government office with you if you feel afraid to go alone. For everyone's safety, we will not be going to peoples homes or exchanging home addresses, but we will meet in public places.
Step 1: Contact Us - Reach out using the contact form below and tell us what you need and when. We will set up a time to have a quick video chat so that you can determine if you feel safe with us, and so that you know how to identify us when we meet.
Step 2: Make a Date - After the video call, and when you determine that you feel safe with us, we will arrange a date, time and place to meet and complete the task you need done. If you need us to pick something up or run an errand for you, we will arrange the details of how that is to be done.
Step 3: Do the thing.That's it.
NOTE: This is NOT a paid service. This is an opportunity to extend humanity beyond our own circle of family and friends, into our community. We will not accept money. The only money that may be exchanged will be for items we pick up that are associated with a purchase for something you need.