Just after retiring, Denis Laquaz stumbled upon a video about a Canadian association that helps women victims of domestic violence move urgently. He looked into it: the concept doesn’t exist in France! Together with a friend, he created “Ça déménage” to fill this gap.
It involves transporting or storing the belongings of women who wish to leave an abusive partner or who are assigned a new home but cannot afford to furnish it. The association collects, provides, and installs tables, chairs, beds, mattresses, all household linens, dishes, and appliances… “Everything that makes the apartment fully operational in just one hour,” Denis explains.
The service is completely free. This logistical and material support serves as a real driving force for departure. “The fact that they had to leave with nothing, leaving all their memories behind, was a barrier. Associations often pick these women up at the foot of the building, where they only take what they can carry,” the president explains. “We hope to facilitate their departure so they can escape the violence.”
Last year, “Ça déménage” transported 56 tons of furniture and appliances and 3.4 tons of household linens thanks to the efforts of 107 volunteers…
