Lynn Drennan says jumping in the harbour in February is similar to the leap many women have to make to leave abusive relationships.
"It's scary," she says. "Looking at that water is the same feeling when you know you have to leave a relationship. It's a big leap. But once you come out of it, you get warm, and so will everything in your life."
Drennan jumped into Digby harbour today, Saturday, Feb. 4 to raise money for Juniper House, a women's shelter in Yarmouth with an outreach office here in Digby.
"If it wasn't for women's shelters I wouldn't be here," says Drennan. "They helped me when I was young and going through abuse. They changed my life."
Drennan left an abusive relationship 12 years ago thanks to help from a shelter in Ontario.
"He would always criticize me," remembers Drennan. "Follow me, time how long I was gone, tell me I was unworthy, threaten me, punched, hit, and pushed me and a whole lot of other abusive actions."
She knew she had to leave but was mostly worried about how she would support her two young boys.
"It was a scary emotional roller coaster," she recalls. "I didn't know where to go or what to do. How do I support my children? How will I be able to afford an apartment? How will I pay for food?"
The women's shelter gave her a place to stay, helped her regain her strength, and helped her to apply for social assistance. Most importantly they provided her with three years of counselling and support.
Twelve years later, she's a real estate agent with Royal LePage in Digby. Her company funds the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and sponsors the Make a Statement for Shelter program to raise money for women and children living with violence all across Canada.
They have so far raised $14,000 of their $25,000 goal. Drennan alone has raised $110 and hopes to reach $1,000 by the deadline at the end of the month.
Drennan also donates a portion of her commission to Juniper House and has other fundraisers planned for the near future.
The Juniper House outreach program in Digby provides all the services of a shelter except there is no house here. The outreach program can however take care of transportation to the shelter in Yarmouth, where they have room for 15 women and children.
It is not necessary to live at the shelter to access outreach services. They offer for example help dealing with the legal and social service systems, counselling and education. The outreach program in Digby also does school presentations talking to students about healthy relationships.
Their offices are in the Venture building next to the Digby Career Centre in Conway but the outreach workers will meet women anywhere it's convenient.
Drennan says she was nervous and scared the morning of the dip. It was -8C and flurries were falling on the sidewalks of Digby.
At 9 a.m. she ran up the street from the Royal LePage office to the Tidal Boat Works ramp in a bright red t-shirt, shorts and canvas sneakers.
She bent down and tested the temperature with her fingertips, raised her arms over head and dove into the icy water.
She wasn't long scampering back out of the water and wrapping herself in a towel held out by a friend.
"That wasn't as bad as I expected."
jriley@digbycourier.ca
For more information on Juniper House: www.juniperhouse.ca
For more information on Lynn Drennan's fundraising: Make a statement for shelter
