Thank you for your interest in supporting men to access services that will help address trauma, domestic violence and fathers. The only way to truly make a difference in domestic violence is to provide support and prevention services for both men and women.

The Men's Centre, a registered charitable organization, located in Nanaimo, serving the whole province of BC for the past 16 years, is looking at closing its doors after struggling to fund the much needed services for men and their families

The Province of BC has just increased their budget to support women's groups by an additional $18M over the next three years and additional $734M over the next ten years, for programs that support women and children who experience domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes.

There is no mention of money to fund men with the same needs and we have been told that there are currently enough services available for men.

Current research indicates that at a minimum 20% of people fleeing domestic violence are male. At this moment in time, there is nowhere for men experiencing domestic violence to go, no transition house, no counselling or support for sexual assault or other crimes. Completed suicides for men are approximately 3: 1 when compared to women. This number can increase to 8:1 during separation and divorce.

With the little funding that has been granted to The ONLY Men's Centre in BC, we have been able to offer the following programs and services: individual and couples counselling, Dads Make a Difference, Connectivity Supervised Access, Boots to Suits Work Clothing, Outreach to Domestic Violence Court and the local Correctional Centre, Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention, Family Crisis Support, Seniors Therapeutic Gardening and Public Education.

Continuity of services is difficult with the lack of operating funds. The Men's Centre proposed to the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth requesting annual funding, inclusive of a transition house and developing a number of other men's centres across BC.

This request was turned down on the basis that there are already adequate services for men in the province. This is completely false. There are no other unique men’s services in BC like the Men’s Centre. When a volunteer phoned the BC211 phone support line asking for male crisis help in Vancouver they were directed to 1 agency. When the same volunteer phoned asking for female support they were directed to 18 different support agencies.

Good governance is to do what is best for all people, not just some of the people.

We need places for men to receive assistance with the variety of challenges that cause trauma in a person's life. The current lack of funding for men's services is contributing to a fatherless society which is not helpful for our children and potentially creates a very bleak future for humanity. It is time for people to step up and help all people to deal with their emotions through services provided by Men's Centres across the province.

By signing this petition you are supporting:

1) Government funding for services to support men of domestic violence (counselling, safe house, prevention education and non-violent communication services)

2) Providing services to men and their families experiencing separation and divorce (supervised access, counselling, parent support, parent coordinator services and mediation)

3) The development of additional mens centres across the province of BC providing the services listed above.

If you believe society needs these services for men to continue and to receive annual funding, please sign this petition and pass it on.

If you require more information, please contact The Men's Centre at 250-716-1551 or info@themenscentre.ca.

To Donate Please Visit The Men's Centre:

http://themenscentre.ca/save-the-centre-fundraising-campaign/

It would also be helpful if you took the time to email or send a letter outlining your experiences accessing services for men to Mr. Horgan, Mr. Farnworth and Mr. Krog and copied to Theo Boere.

Honourable John Horgan premier@gov.bc.ca

West Annex Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Honourable Mike Farnworth PSSG.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General

PO Box 9010 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9E2

Leonard Krog, MLA Nanaimo Leonard.Krog.MLA@leg.bc.ca

4-77 Victoria Cres., Nanaimo BC, V9R 5B9

Theo Boere, Executive Director The Men's Centre theo@themenscentre.ca

418D Fitzwilliam St., Nanaimo BC, V9R 3A7

Thank you for supporting all the men in our lives!