Local businesses team up with Nova House to bring PJs to those who need them
Often there comes a time at the end of the day for most people after everything has wound down when you get to put on some PJs and start really relaxing. The Power of the PJs campaign aims to make sure that people leaving domestic and family violence situations also have that opportunity by collecting new PJs, slippers, socks, or t-shirts and sweats which are given to people who come to Nova House for help, often with just the clothes on their backs.
“It is an opportunity for the shelter to bring recognition to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is November. It’s a quick, easy way, for people to support what we’re doing. Pajamas are something that we provide families when they come into the shelter. If they come with nothing, they have no pajamas, it’s one of the things that typically get left behind, that and socks. [This campaign allows us to] have them on hand for them here. Usually, this campaign has been able to provide us with enough pajamas to last us throughout the year,” said Viktoria Westgate, executive director of Nova House.
Nova House is a domestic and family violence shelter that serves the Interlake and North Eastman region of Manitoba and is based in Selkirk.
Westgate says that it’s important to bring awareness about domestic violence to everyone in our community because it can happen to anyone.
“Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors and domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and family violence happen everywhere. It could be happening next door to you, right? So, it’s good to bring that awareness to everybody. Everybody should be aware,” she said.
PJs can represent comfort and signal that it’s time to relax something that someone coming from a domestic or family violence situation may greatly need.
“The best way to bring that into perspective would be when someone has been struggling all day to leave an abusive relationship and they finally make it to a safe refuge, like a shelter, being able to provide them new clean pajamas, so that they can have a restful night’s sleep, maybe for the first time in weeks or months, there’s nothing better than that,” said Westgate.
Nova House additionally allows people who get help from them to go to their thrift store, Twice Over in Selkirk, and obtain what they need for free but for that first night having PJs on hand is essential.
[We need PJs] not just for adults but all ages from newborn baby all the way up to all ages of adults and definitely all ages of children,” said Westgate.
She in particular mentioned that they need men’s PJs as well, even though the shelter is for women and children leaving unsafe situations, as there are teenage boys who fit into adult sizes who are part of families that are getting help and sometimes they are overlooked.
For the month of November, six businesses in our community will become collection points for these PJs:
Twice Over Thrift Store: 214 Manitoba Ave, Selkirk
Packers Women’s Fashion: 409 Main Street, Selkirk
Aaron’s No Frills: 366 Main Street, Selkirk
Bella Ragazza Boutique: 63B Main Street, Selkirk
Harry’s Fine Foods: 5571 Hwy. #9, St. Andrews
Network 4 Change: 92 Third Street, Beausejour
Residents can also support Nova House and this campaign financially through their website or by sending an etransfer to finance@novahouse.ca. Cheques can also be mailed to them at Nova House, P.O. Box 337, Selkirk, MB, R1A 2B3.
Financial donations are helpful because at this time of year, they get a lot of warm-weather PJ donations and the monetary donations allow them to purchase PJs in the spring and summer for people who come in when the weather is warmer.
Westgate says that the people who receive these PJs are very grateful to get them.
“They are extremely thankful. They’re sometimes overwhelmed a little bit. When a family of six comes in and we’re giving them all pajamas, it’s a little bit of a relief sometimes for the mom. They’re worried about what their child will sleep in that night, that weekend, or while they’re here. And so, it’s a bit of a relief that we can provide what they need,” said Westgate.
For more information about Nova House visit their website at novahouse.ca. You can also contact them by texting 204-805-NOVA(6682). If you are in an emergency situation, please call 911.
