Regina woman shares story of abuse to help mark local shelter’s anniversary

REGINA – For the purpose of this story and for safety, we’ll refer to her as ‘Sarah.’

Ten years ago, she was in an abusive relationship and needed a way to escape the violence.

“It got to the point where he would get physical and (that is) when I realized, after growing up seeing my mom going through the same thing, I didn’t want my kids to go through that,” Sarah said.

At the time, she was living on her abuser’s reserve near Fort Qu’Appelle and was approached by a social worker who offered her an exit strategy.

Sarah and her two young children were brought to Regina Transition House, a shelter for women and children.

“I never thought that the person would hurt me the way that he did, especially in front of our children, but when it happened I knew I had to get out of there.”

The shelter not only provided Sarah and her kids with a roof over their heads, but was a launch pad to a new, better life.

She says she was provided with the resources and skills to recognize signs of abuse in the future.

“It was really scary, but being able to open up with the ladies here and even seeing there are other women, that I wasn’t alone in the situation, that was a comforting part of it.”

Sarah’s story is all too familiar.  She’s just of the more than 14,000 women who have come through Regina Transition House’s doors since it opened in 1976.

The shelter’s executive director, Maria Hendrika, says 40 years is quite a feat, but she wishes their work didn’t mean so many women are forced to flee violence.

“For me the biggest heartbreak in this kind of work is the death of women, which we hear all too much of in our communities. That we have lost so many of our sisters,” she said.

Still Hendrika is proud of what Regina Transition House has done and says she’s witnessed an evolution in attitudes towards abuse.

“Forty years ago, we didn’t really talk about domestic violence. It was something you swept under the rug,” she said. “There’s still a stigma attached to it, but the response from community and professionals is very, very different now.”

Still, Saskatchewan holds the dubious distinction of maintaining the highest rates of domestic violence in Canada.

Currently, the shelter can house eight families, but regardless of the time of year, it’s almost always full.

“Is (domestic violence) more prevalent today than it used to be? I think we’re much more aware and that’s why we hear about more of it,” said Hendrika.

Sarah is now part of Regina Transition House’s outreach program and is grateful for the continued support from staff.

If she can offer anything in return, it’s a message to others: “Get help. Get out of there while you can.”

Regina Transition House launched a fundraising campaign Tuesday to help mark their 40 year milestone.