Jennifer and her daughter, Mathilde, have been long-time customers of the shop, and as of late, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Jennifer a little better as a fellow entrepreneur. A woman of great compassion, many talents, and boundless zeal, Jennifer is a doula who has established her business as The Salty Stork, and has been supporting families throughout pregnancy, labour and birth, and postpartum.
Jennifer currently services the entirety of Cape Breton Island and Antigonish area, and this coming winter she will bring her experience and skills to the Maison de Naissance Birth Centre in Torbeck, Haiti, training local volunteers to support labouring mothers.
“Every mother deserves a positive, safe and healthy birth experience where she feels supported and protected,” says Jennifer. “Yet women throughout the third world are often unable to access services that we in the Western world are lucky to have.”
Jennifer hopes to be a part of this change, and to start she’ll make her mark in Haiti, a nation that has the highest maternal mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere.
The role of the doula is not yet known in Haiti, but it is something Jennifer hopes can be fostered.
“Presently, while family members are encouraged to attend and assist the delivering mother, many families are not able to provide this support for various reasons,” explains Jennifer. “As a result, many women have only a midwife with them in the delivery room.”
As part of her fundraising efforts, Jennifer has been making and selling beeswax food wraps, and we are happy to be selling them here at LQ to assist her fundraising efforts. Monies raised will help Jennifer with her daily living expenses while in Haiti, plus travel, vaccines, and lodging. Any funds raised beyond what she needs will be used to purchase equipment and supplies or given as donations to the centre.
A selection of Jennifer’s wraps can be found at LQ both in-store and online.
To make a donation to her fundraiser, visit her GoFundMe page.
Best of luck, Jennifer!
