On August 27, 2022, GardaWorld was invited to speak on Ottawa City News’ radio special “Hour to Give” about our involvement with Shelter Movers Ottawa. Shelter Movers is a non-profit organization that provides moving and storage services to survivors leaving an abusive home for a safer place. 

Listen to the audio recording on the Ottawa City New website or continue reading below for a transcript of the discussion.

What is the role of GardaWorld within Shelter Movers Ottawa? In other words, what happens on a move?

Shelter Movers will decide, based on the circumstances, if the move is deemed low, medium, or high risk. We will be called in on moves that are deemed medium risk, so meaning there is a potential risk to the client. Once we get called on a move, a uniformed security guard will attend on site for the duration of the move, usually about 30 minutes, to help maintain peace and calmness, and allow the activity to happen. The security guard will work in tandem with the lead mover to ensure everything goes smoothly, that the move is safe for the client and safe for the volunteers. The security guard and the lead mover are really the ones that make that happen and will talk about safety as the move is going on. If there’s a decision to be made, like if they feel the situation is escalating, they may decide that it’s time to stop. They take all those decisions together.

What is the potential impact or importance of providing these services?

It has an impact both on the clients who are moving out as well as on the volunteers who are on site to lend a hand. There is so much mutual value in this relationship. Of course, with the presence of a security guard, there’s a positive impact with respect to the physical safety and mental wellbeing of the client, but also for the volunteer. It allows them to see empathy at work. And some of our employees have even become volunteers, to help the movers out, on their own off time.

Another important impact is that because we are one of the largest privately owned integrated security companies in the world, GardaWorld has the resources to be able to assist in these types of circumstances. So, for medium risk moves, we allow Shelter Movers to mitigate the need to go to the police, thus alleviating pressure on police resources.

Why did GardaWorld decide to work with Shelter Movers?

Our mission is to make the world a safer place, and one of the ways we do this is by protecting our clients’ people. So, when we were approached by Shelter Movers to help survivors move out of their homes, we immediately felt it aligned with our core values. These people need security, they need to feel safe during this crucial situation, and our security guards are the ones to provide that peace of mind. And of course, we already had a presence in Ottawa, so it was an easy Yes for us to send resources at the earliest request.

How has your partnership with Shelter Movers grown?

What started out as a conversation within the community about six years ago, with the Ontario chapter of Shelter Movers, has grown exponentially. To give you an idea, at least one quarter of Shelter Movers Ottawa’s 1000 moves over the last four years have been assisted by GardaWorld. And now GardaWorld supports the Vancouver and Halifax chapters as well.

Why is it important to give back and support your community in this way?

One of our objectives and commitments is to have a positive impact wherever we operate, and to take steps to contribute to good causes. We do this by creating strong partnerships such as the one we have with Shelter Movers. Giving back to the community helps ensure a sustainable approach to doing business because it promotes the health, education and safety of the community and essentially strengthens its economic well-being. We are extremely proud of the work that GardaWorld does in Ottawa, throughout Canada and around the globe. And as our presence grows, we consistently evaluate our effect on the communities around us and how it aligns with our strategy and values.

What do you hope to see in the future for this relationship with Shelter Movers?

We hope that as Shelter Movers expands to more areas across the country, that we will expand with them. GardaWorld has a presence in every major city across Canada, with over 40 Canadian offices and 35,000 security professionals. It’s a partnership that can flourish. Ultimately, we were part of the last 1000 moves and we want to be part of the next 1000 moves.

To learn more about the important work being done by Shelter Movers, we invite you to visit their website.