On Monday, September 9th, during the early hours of the evening as the sun thought about setting, I had the pleasure of volunteering my services to the community for the grand opening of a very special new facility in our small town. The facility is a home, for women experiencing crisis during or after pregnancy, and the program implements techniques and a safe environment to promote their recovery.
The establishment of the facility was inspired by the tragic story of Amber, who sought support at the local Pregnancy Care Centre in 2018. She had sought refuge from an abusive living situation, and for a while lived in a women's shelter until she found stability once again on her own. But then, sadly she returned to her abuser later on out of desperation - and in 2020 she finally passed away. The circumstances of her passing are not well known. But one thing is for certain: the exemplary folks leading the Amber's Hope Maternity Home project are determined not to let the systems fail any other women the ways Amber was.
Many locals attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, including our local MP, Arnold Viersen. It was a pleasure to see so many people come together and support something so endearing and meaningful. There is a special place in my heart for this facility, the folks leading it, and especially the locals that are supporting it. Motherhood is tough enough while you still have the support of family, friends, and a stable job. I simply cannot imagine having to go it alone and without necessities, as in some of the worst case scenarios.
The board of directors stood before the crowd, and both Katherine and Marika delivered speeches as well as several guest speakers. Then the finale of the ribbon cutting came, and the event drew to a close. I wish I could have stayed longer and continued to visit with so many familiar and also new faces - but my children were waiting for me at the sitter's, so I took my leave and headed off for home. I am awed by the entire event, and happy to be able to share some meaningful candid photographs of it.
