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.
What We’re Actually Building
Emergency shelters save lives. But they are temporary.
After that, many women are left choosing between:
going back
couch surfing
or risking homelessness
Red Thread exists to change that.
We are building secure, longer-term housing where survivors can stabilize, rebuild, and move forward safely, with their children and pets.
This is the missing middle.
And it’s costing lives.
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- which 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.
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.
What Your Support Actually Builds
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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.
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Support, stability, and time,
so survivors can move forward instead of starting over again and again.
Survivors voices
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"I had to leave provinces and run while he was in jail. Got no help with my injuries".
- Survivor
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"I still double check doors and have a lock on my bedroom door. I am safe now, but my mind hasn't escaped the fear of what happened,...now, 12 years later"
- Surviror
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"The emotional and financial abuse is demoralizin and it is more common than anyone thinks"
- Survivor
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"He's gone now and I have my mental health back"
Survivor & Friend
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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
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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.
