One Calgary non-profit has discovered an unconventional connection between jewelry, horses and support for domestic violence survivors.
Jordan Guildford started the charity Gems in 2015 with the goal of ending the cycle of domestic abuse and empowering survivors. It began as a Christmas jewelry drive for those residing in shelters, and soon after grew into offering resources and support for victims of domestic abuse.
“Domestic abuse touches literally everyone. And even the people who think they’re not touched by it, they have someone they care about who has been affected by it,” Guildford said.
Escaping abuse can feel like an uphill battle. According to Gems, women make on average five to seven attempts to leave their abuser despite the cultural and economic obstacles they face.
But Guildford was all smiles after Gems held their biggest event to date this summer — a polo tournament.
The Gems Cup came about as a partnership between Guildford and the Calgary Polo Club, the result of hundreds of hours of work from Guildford and her team at Gems.
“A lot of charities do golf tournaments and galas, and we really wanted to be able to find something unique,” said Guildford. “We found a really beautiful match with the polo club.”
Raising awareness off the pitch
The day started with a youth-oriented show, leading up to the awarding of a prestigious cup at the final tournament. The fundraiser featured top-notch polo players from Canada and beyond. Teams of varying skill, nationality and gender got to show off on the pitch. Off the field, a packed venue, food, drink, music all contributed to a big bump in awareness for the non-profit.
The funds raised support multiple initiatives like workshops, scholarships and safe-surrender locations for women who for any reason are not in a position to raise their babies.
Dave Sweet, a former Calgary police detective, said he’s seen that situation too many times. He hopes to give these surrendered babies the opportunity to live and have a future, rather than suffering the fate that many have — being abandoned in alleyways or trash cans. Sweet said he would like to see every community have one of these centres “because what they do is provide an option for women who never had that before.”
“They were left to make a very, very difficult decision on what they were going to do with an unwanted child,” he adds.
Sweet felt so strongly about the issue, he became the board chair at Gems.
A well-known actor, Michelle Morgan of CBC’s Heartland, also wanted to get involved. Employing her extensive acting experience, Morgan teaches workshops for Gems that help women demonstrate confidence with body language, voice projection and how to articulate their needs.
“When they come out of it, I feel like they’re speaking more confidently,” said Morgan. “That kind of work helps anyone, but in particular, the people who have had their voice taken from them.”
The work continues
Meanwhile, Guildford has big plans for the future of Gems. Unfortunately, the need for their work doesn’t appear to be waning.
She hopes to see the safe-surrender initiative expand across the country. Providing a one-year paid scholarship for an education in the trades is also high up on the list. And planning for next year’s Gems Cup has already begun. Guildford aims to get even more people involved by offering general admission entrance to the event.
“I never want to outprice the people that supported us and got us where we are, ever,” she said.
Guildford’s work has come a long way, from collecting jewelry to give women in shelters something to look forward to at Christmas, to holding a charity cup and expanding Gems initiatives nationwide.
One thing Guildford is certain of is that she couldn’t have done this alone.
“My team was everything,” she said. “They were the heartbeat of this.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there is help. Go to calgarywomensshelter.com or call 403-234-SAFE (7233), or call 1-866-644-5135.