This Sunday (Feb. 28), everything from towels to socks to toothpaste will be bundled up in care packages at Metchosin Hall.
It’s the ninth time West Shore Baha’i groups have undertaken a service drive aimed at helping homeless people living around downtown Victoria.
“We want to help the community in some sort of way and the people who need the help right now are the homeless,” said Greg Bell, who has volunteered for this annual outreach event for five years along with his wife, Wendy. “We can help them more than we can help others.”
The goal is to assemble 200 bath bundles to be passed along to clients at Our Place. Staff from that facility gave the Baha’i groups a list of items most needed by people using bath services at the Pandora Street centre.
Representatives of the service provider will be on hand Sunday to collect the bundles, but also to talk a little about what it’s like to live on the streets of the region.
“It’s important for people to be aware that not everyone is as fortunate (as others),” says Wendy Bell, adding that service is one of the principles of the Baha’i faith.
Part of Sunday’s event will be the creation of greeting cards by children, to be included in each of the bundles, she said. “We always invite children to participate, because we think it’s important to teach them to serve others.”
While members of local Baha’i groups have been spearheading collection efforts, the public is invited to attend Sunday’s event and drop off donations of towels, new warm socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap and any other small items they feel would be appreciated by receivers of the bundles.
Area Boy Scouts troops frequently help out the drive, and there are plenty of Metchosin residents, not to mention West Shore merchants, who help out with donations to the drive.
There will be refreshments on hand, entertainment and face painting for the kids. The event happens from 2 to 4 p.m. at the community hall, 4401 William Head Rd.
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