Rise Up and Run to Benefit Chrysalis House

Rise Up and Run to Benefit Chrysalis House
By Edith Riley

Chrysalis House is a non-profit grassroots organization that has been providing shelter, support, counselling, advocacy, outreach, and transitional supports to women and their children escaping violence for more than 30 years. Chrysalis House works with individuals, organizations, learning institutions, and businesses in our community to end violence against women in order to create healthier communities and families.

The primary goal of Chrysalis House is to provide a safe place for women and children escaping abuse. The secondary goal is to support women and children through service delivery and programming. We provide many in-house and outreach services, including the children’s program which focuses on promoting children’s strengths and self-esteem in a welcoming, safe, and caring environment; the art program, which promotes women and children coming together to connect, create, and share in a community setting where they feel safe and supported; and women’s programs designed to assist women in recognizing the patterns of abusive relationships and the warning signs of control and abuse and improving financial security. We also offer joint programs like Women Independent Now (WIN) with Annapolis Valley Health (Mental Health and Addictions Services). The shelter service is located in Kentville, Nova Scotia and serves the communities of Kings, Annapolis, and West Hants counties. The shelter and distress/support line operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Services are provided by 15 permanent employees. There are absolutely no fees for service.

In its current state, Chrysalis House diverts substantial operating funds towards maintaining and repairing an aging structure that does not meet the needs of service users and staff. We are raising funds towards the construction of a new shelter that will be accessible and include much needed space for other organizations we work closely with. Our innovative design will allow for a hub of related community services and will build capacity in our community and increase access to services for families experiencing violence. Chrysalis House has been most fortunate to have received so much support from the community and funders and we truly hope that this will continue as we work towards achieving our new initiative, Project Renew.

With Project Renew upon us, we are always looking for new ways to fund raise and to include the community so they are aware of the services the shelter provides. When Andrea Watts, a fellow board member, suggested a run, I jumped aboard and we started the process of organizing it, all the way back in February! Since then we have been joined by a subcommittee of board members trying to pull together all the different duties involved in running such a fun event!

Andrea also came up with the idea of edible medals. Being a runner herself, she had been at a run that also had edible medals. As we are starting out, and as it’s a fundraiser towards a great cause, we are trying to keep the costs down, and who doesn’t love to have a sweet treat after a workout?

Rise Up and Run is going to be amazing. The event starts at 10:00am, and opening ceremonies include a welcome from both Ginger MacPhee, Director of Chrysalis House, and Sandra Snow, Mayor of Kentville. We will then have some stretching and warm up with a local yoga instructor. The run begins at Miner’s Marsh and then continues onto the trail, with lots of volunteers along the way. We have been doing prize draws for anyone signed up for the past month, with more draws to come, so get signed up!