Kijiji Kindness
Woman escapes abusive relationship, finds help within community
“I just kept blaming myself, and constantly thinking there was something wrong with me. I honestly just didn’t value myself at all.”
These are words from a St. John’s woman who has finally escaped a life of domestic violence.
The violence had been off and on for five years.
“Once I got pregnant, I started to prioritize differently, my entire focus shifted and the abuse became so obvious.”
The woman and her ninemonth old baby were taken in at Iris Kirby House — a shelter for women and children experiencing domestic violence.
“I called them the morning I decided to leave. The staff was so incredibly kind, and helped me to come to a decision on my own. They ordered me a taxi the second I was ready to leave.”
The woman and her baby stayed at the shelter until the staff helped her find a place of their own.
There was one problem — she didn’t have any furniture.
“I had the keys to my new place, and I couldn’t go there because I didn’t even have a bed. I knew the demand that the shelter has, and I felt so bad being there knowing that I have keys to a place, while there’s abused women calling and being told, sorry there’s no room at the shelter.”
That is when the decision was made to make a Kijiji ad asking for help.
In the ad the woman asks for help with pots, pans, a bed and a crib.
“I posted the ad around 10 p.m., and by midnight I had about 10 messages, which I thought was incredible. But when my baby woke me up at 5 a.m., I had 61 messages.”
The woman says she owes so much to the Facebook page “Project Kindness” which posted her ad to its social media page, which is how the ad reached so many people.
“I’ve been contacted by about 300 people, and they have all showed me nothing but kindness, love and support. You know how when you go online and read something, there are always a couple of trolls who have something bad to say? I haven’t gotten a single bad message.”
Before the ad was posted, the woman was getting advice from others telling her that she should contact her ex, to try to get her furniture back.
“I attempted to get my stuff back. I was miserable that week. I couldn’t breathe, and I started having panic attacks again. I decided that there’s nothing in that house that I need more than my sanity.
“It needs to be known that there is help out there for women like me. You can restart, and you never need go back to your abuser.”
The woman has already received almost a full kitchen, a crib and a bed. A couch and coffee table are expected to be delivered on Saturday.
“We’re sitting on the floor now, but we hope to be sitting on couches soon,” she said.
“Never have I seen this kind of outpouring of love. I didn’t even know that people could be this good. “
The woman has been redirecting people with donations to Iris Kirby House. All she needs to complete her home is a washer and dryer.