Leaving isn’t the hardest part.
Having nowhere safe to go is.

We’re building second-stage housing for women, children, and pets escaping violence.

I NEED SUPPORT
BUILD THE REFUGE

What Happens After She Leaves?

Leaving is not the end of the danger.

For many women, it’s when things become most unpredictable.

Shelters are temporary.

And when they fill up, because they often do, there are very few safe options left.

That’s when impossible choices happen:

  • Go back

  • Stay hidden

  • Or risk everything

Red Thread exists to change what comes next.

What Your Support Builds

  • Not just a bed for the night;
    a place to stay long enough to rebuild, stabilize, and breathe.

  • Women shouldn’t have to choose between safety and their children or pets.

    This is housing designed for real life.

  • Support, stability, and time,
    so survivors can move forward instead of starting over again and again.

SUPPORT THE REFUGE

Survivor Voices

  • "I had to leave provinces and run while he was in jail. Got no help with my injuries".

    - Survivor

  • "He's gone now and I have my mental health back"

    Survivor & Friend

  • Our community needs exactly what you're trying to build! They may not all see it now, but don't give up!

    Supporter & Community Leader

Meet the Founder

  • A woman with long hair smiling and forming a heart shape with her hands, with a neon sign in the background that reads 'Willow Refuge'.

    Carole Denis (Willow-Rae)

    FOUNDER, RED THREAD REFUGE SOCIETY

    Carole Denis, also known as Willow-Rae, is the founder of Red Thread Refuge Society and a survivor-led advocate for women, children, and pets escaping abuse.

    Her mission is rooted in lived experience, community care, and the belief that leaving violence should not mean facing homelessness, instability, or impossible choices.

    Through Red Thread, Carole is working to build second-stage housing in Northern Ontario so survivors have somewhere safe to land, breathe, rebuild, and begin again.

 

Built for Northern Ontario

This project starts here.

In Northern Ontario, safe, long-term housing options are limited; especially for women leaving violence with children or pets.

We are building something local, intentional, and designed for real-life needs.

And once it works here, it can be built anywhere.