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There has been an increase of more than 50 per cent in demand for Charlottetown's women's shelter.
In Charlottetown, P.E.I., demand for the shelter has been fairly steady over the last decade. On average, staff at the shelter would have expected to see about 27 women in the first five months of this year. So far this year, they have seen 42 women and their children.
The higher demand means the emergency shelter for women and children is short on supplies of all sorts.
"I think it largely has to do with the state of the economy, the financial pressures that families are under," Phil Matusiewicz, executive director of family violence prevention services on P.E.I..
"When there are additional stresses on families, we see the result of family breakup."
The shelter in P.E.I. is provincially funded and gets about $60,000 a year in donations, but it believes it will require a further $10,000 this year. Anderson House manager Ellen Ridgeway said changes in the economy have brought back husbands from Western Canada who have been away for years. The shelter is also taking in more immigrant women, and women who come to the Island to be with men they've met online.
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) represents shelter workers in many provinces across Canada. These dedicated workers in community-based social services support women and men in need in a variety of services and programs.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE