Helping people find safety, one quiet question at a time

Content warning: This story discusses gender-based violence, human trafficking, harassment and abuse, and includes references to people seeking safety and support.

“Is Angela here?”

It sounds like a simple question. But for someone experiencing gender-based violence, human trafficking, harassment or abuse, those three words can be a discreet first step toward safety.

Asking for help can be complicated and dangerous, especially when someone is being closely watched, accompanied by the person harming them, or has only a few moments alone while out in public.

As Carly Kalish, CEO of Victim Services Toronto, shared, “Survivors have told us that sometimes the only place they are alone is the grocery store or the pharmacy.”

That is why Loblaw’s partnership with Victim Services Toronto through Ask for Angela matters.

Across Toronto stores, team members are trained to recognize “Angela” as a quiet request for support. They respond calmly, bring the person to a private space and offer to connect them with Victim Services Toronto.

Originally a safety campaign in the United Kingdom, Ask for Angela gives people a discreet way to signal that they feel unsafe, especially when calling police or openly asking for help may not be available or safe.

Because Loblaw stores are familiar, accessible and woven into everyday routines, they can offer something rare in a crisis: a safe moment, in a public place, with someone trained to respond.

For Melissa Haynes, National Asset Protection Project Lead at Loblaw, the program reflects the role team members can play in supporting safer communities.

“Team members are not there to solve the problem entirely or act as crisis experts. Their role is to recognize when someone is signaling for help, listen, believe them and connect them with the right support. In that moment, a calm response and a private room can make an extraordinary difference,” added Melissa.

Today, the program is active across 23 municipalities, and more than 35,000 store team members across our network have been trained. Thanks to this, over 40 individuals have received assistance.

Behind each of those numbers is a person who found a way to ask for help.

That support is already making a difference. Recently, someone walked into a Shoppers Drug Mart and asked a pharmacist, “Is Angela here?” The team recognized the signal, brought the person to a private room and contacted Victim Services Toronto who connected them with the proper support.

The person had been directed there by someone from a nearby store who knew Loblaw participated in the program. For Carly and Melissa, that moment showed the true reach of Ask for Angela, and how awareness can travel from one person to another until it reaches someone who needs it most.

The program also helps team members understand that gender-based violence and human trafficking often involve someone the survivor knows, trusts, or is in a relationship with. Carly explains, “Emotional, financial and psychological barriers can make asking for help feel nearly impossible. That is why a discreet pathway matters: it allows someone to reach out without explaining everything out loud or putting themselves at greater risk.”

For Loblaw, Ask for Angela is about being present in our communities and recognizing that safety is something we create together. It is also available to all team members because gender-based violence does not discriminate.

Through this partnership, we are helping create safer spaces where people are listened to, supported, and connected to care.

Sometimes, safety starts with one simple question: “Is Angela here?”

And sometimes, the right person knowing how to answer can change what happens next.

Learn more about Ask For Angela on the Victim Services website(Open in a new tab) and see how it can make an impact during busy summer activities here(Open in a new tab).