YWCA Fresh Start start 3:Layout 1 - YWCA Canada

FRESH START These are some of the documents that should be kept in a safe place.You may have additional documents that you want to include:• emergency phone numbers and address book• keys for the house, car, office• all court documents, including protection or restraining orders,custody and access orders and bail conditions• passports, proof of citizenship, immigration papers• birth certificates• health cards• social insurance cards• medication prescriptions• insurance papers• marriage, separation or divorce papers• paternity documents• school and vaccination/medical records• driver’s licence and car registration• pay stubs, welfare identification• charge cards, cheque books, bankbooks, financial papers, PINs• lease-rental agreement, home ownership papers, mortgage papersEmergency suppliesIf you are able to, you may want to put together a small pack withsome extra clothes for yourself and your children and any medicationor other supplies that you would need if you had to leave your homein a hurry. Find somewhere private to keep this bag that you can getto quickly and easily if you are fleeing a violent situation.Safety in the homeIf you are still living with your abuser and you feel the tension isbuilding and getting worse, try to leave the house if you can do sosafely. If you cannot leave the house, go to a room in which there arefewer things that can be used as weapons. Think about where thatwould be before you need to act.35