People facing homelessness in Williams Lake were offered free haircuts Wednesday, Nov. 20 at the local Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) office.
This is the second time the Williams Lake Community Action Team (WL CAT) ran the event which was organized in partnership with Community Action Initiative, the Overdose Emergency Response Centre and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.
"We're just so thankful for having had the opportunity to do this," said Heather Silvester of CMHA. About 15 people experiencing homelessness had their hair cut during the event which the team hopes to run at least once per year.
WL CAT aims to provide community needs in support of those affected by the overdose and toxic drug crisis. The team is run through the CMHA Cariboo Chilcotin branch and is always looking for community members wanting to help out.
As the winter rushes in and Christmas inches near, the CMHA and WL CAT are also organizing their annual Holiday Sock Drive. They will be giving out baskets with warm socks and winter gear, along with a pack of hot chocolate for community members who need additional support this holiday season.
They encourage community members who can donate new socks, toques, mittens, gloves and scarves in the red bins which will be placed around town in local businesses. There will be about 20 donation bins set up by next week, with some already available at the Cool Clear Water and the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake. CMHA can be phoned for a full list of locations where items can be donated.
