Hestia House, Tanya Shand Memorial Fund, Asking Businesses To Shine Light On Domestic Violence
SAINT JOHN – Local businesses are being called upon to “Light Up The Town Purple” as a show of support for victims of domestic violence and the organizations that provide women and their children shelter and support.
The Tanya Shand Memorial Fund, a non-profit grassroots organization that raises awareness about intimate partner violence and supports survivors, is partnering with Hestia House on an awareness and fundraising campaign at a time when domestic violence has escalated due to Covid-19.
“Light Up The Town Purple” will run during the month of November, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and December until Christmas Day. For every $100 donation, people and organizations will be given a 100-bulb strand of purple lights and a decal to display at their homes and businesses in support of the mission to, “End The Silence, Domestic Violence.”
“The people that work with you or work in your business, they’re people that can be affected by it,” says Constable Kelly McIntyre. “It’s so important that businesses recognize it and recognize that they definitely have people in their workplace that are victims of domestic violence or have been victims of domestic violence.”
McIntyre wanted to do something different this year after the sixth annual Tanya Shand Milk and Cookie Run had to be cancelled due to the restrictions on mass gatherings during the pandemic.
“We just felt that we needed, especially now, a stronger presence in the community to show support,” said McIntyre. “It would get more businesses involved. You would see the support in the community and honor the women that we’ve lost.”
The pandemic has heightened the level of risk for victims, she says, with domestic violence outreach programs forced to operate in a different capacity, mostly through phone communications.
“Sometimes it was easier for someone to make a plan to say, ‘I’m going to go and get groceries,’ and then be able to meet with a worker, but right now a lot of our victims have the accused with them the entire time, so there’s no break from it,” she says.
In New Brunswick, one in four women is affected by domestic violence and the province has the third-highest rate in the country for violent crimes against women. In March and April of this year, there were 10 cases in 36 days across Canada where women were killed because of domestic violence.
Hestia House Executive Director Melissa Martin says its current resources are stretched thin. Its communal home is almost at full capacity.
“Once the restrictions let up a little bit, the calls went up and the women coming through the doors went up,” said Martin. “It has been like that for the last couple of months.”
She hopes the campaign will make people realize domestic violence should be eradicated by now.
“In this day and age, it shouldn’t be there, it shouldn’t exist,” says Martin.
She says 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward a special project for Hestia House, details of which will be announced on November 2.
There will also be other ways to show support. A communal pajama day will be held on November 27 in support of the 365,000 Canadian children who flee their homes with their mothers wearing only their pajamas.
On that day, employees and business owners are being asked to donate $2 and wear pajamas to work. They could make it more of an event by creating specialty drinks, meals or treats, with proceeds going to Hestia House.
On the weekend of November 27-29, a drone will fly through Saint John’s communities, taking photos and videos of the light displays as a sign of community and remembrance for loved ones impacted by domestic violence.
“Victims – current victims or past victims of domestic violence – can know that there’s a community that’s rallied around each other so that they can feel safer,” says Martin. “There’s more knowledge out there and more education and information out there so I’m hoping that at the very least, this campaign will just make everybody really aware.”
For more information or to order strands of lights, contact Constable McIntyre at the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force or visit the Tanya Shand Memorial Fund’s Facebook page.