In May, Jonathan Huth, CEO and Rebecca Eddy, Senior Account Supervisor at Conversion Digital, a Toronto-based marketing agency, reached out to see how they could be of help to The Redwood during this very challenging time. They offered to donate or volunteer their time and marketing services – anything to help! Catherine May, The Redwood’s Director of Fundraising and Communications, attended one of the agency’s morning staff calls to talk about the unprecedented challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused for women experiencing abuse. The stay-at-home initiatives that have kept so many of use safe, have isolated many women with the person doing them harm – putting them in more danger than ever.

Conversion Digital sprung into action to help! Their team set a fundraising goal of $5,000 – which they surpassed by raising over $7,400! These funds have already been put to work to support women and children living in The Redwood’s emergency shelter.

And, the company offered The Redwood $10,000 worth of services to help us get the word out on a life-saving new service aimed at helping women in the community who are experiencing abuse. iDetermine.ca, our new online platform offers crisis support via chat and text to women and non-binary people, making it possible for individuals who may not have the privacy to make a telephone call for help, to reach a trained Redwood counsellor around the clock. Conversion Digital is currently developing a social media marketing plan to help us spread the word about this platform as far as possible and reach those who need the support.

We’re so thankful for this new friendship and for the many ways the staff and leadership at Conversion Digital have come together to support The Redwood in its mission to provide emergency shelter and services to women fleeing abuse. They truly are heroes!