West Shore families are encouraged to come out and support the region’s homeless population during an all-ages event this weekend.
As part of the 11th annual outreach service project, organized by the Metchosin Baha’i community and the 4-H Club, residents young and old are encouraged to bring a new bath towel, a pair of socks suitable for men or women and a tube of toothpaste, which will then be packaged up and donated to Our Place Society’s bath program in downtown Victoria.
“The bath program is really quite an amazing program because if you want to get a job, you have to look respectable and smell clean. With the bath program, they can walk off the street, be given a bundle and go in and have a bath and clean up,” event organizer Nan Hsieh said.
“It’s hard to be able to keep clean when you’re on the street and you don’t have access to the normal things we have in our home.”
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The event started more than a decade ago during the Metchosin Baha’i time of service, in which they give back to the community. While the group wanted to put on an event that was fun for children, organizers also wanted them to learn about the importance of service, and thus the outreach service project was born.
“We were just looking wherever there was the greatest need, so we decided to help Our Place,” Hsieh said. “It’s teaching the children to give rather than take.”
As part of this year’s event, residents gather in Metchosin, make cards and help bundle the items together. Last year organizers bundled roughly 200 packages and hope to achieve a similar goal this year. The event also features performances by Reach Performing Company, a performing arts group that includes people of all ages, cultures and abilities, along with performers from the Canadian College of Performing Arts and the University of Victoria.
The outreach service project takes place on Sunday, Feb. 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Metchosin Community Hall (4401 William Head Rd.).