Victoria stylist’s ‘hair bank’ reaches people in need of a free cut
A Victoria hair salon owner and stylist is trading his tips for donations he’ll match to give people in need a free haircut.
When Jamie McCallum opened Community Salons on Meares Street in May, he wanted it to be a welcoming place for everyone.
“And maybe especially for people in need,” he says.
The ‘hair bank’ runs on the honour system – where people can book online or by phone and make a note they’re in need.
McCallum says it’s a concept he’s wanted to introduce for a while.
“It could be somebody who is displaced,” he says. “I’ve worked with women in transition, people in early recovery, youth at risk.”
For Lynn Edgett, it was a sandwich board on Cook Street mentioning the hair bank that pointed her to the shop. She’s trying to get back to work after a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in June 2020.
“It took my life right from under me,” she says. “It’s been trying. Stressful.”
She sat in the salon chair for the first time in months – eager and grateful to clean up the hair that’s growing back.
“It’s awesome because I wouldn’t be able to afford it right now. I just can’t.”
McCallum says that’s the case for many.
“It’s sort of a treat that not a lot of people get to experience,” he says. “I might not be able to relate to everyone in here, but as far as mental health stuff I’ve definitely had struggles in the past. It’s important to me that now that I’m sort of out of that to give back.”
People who want to contribute to the cause can call or stop in at Community Salons – and anyone looking to book a haircut can do so online or by phone.
“People are generally really grateful,” says McCallum.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.