Sparrow For Hair is reaching out to struggling women across the valley, providing their services for free as part of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
The Day of Remembrance, which falls on December 6, honours the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique Massacre in Montreal, where a 24-year-old male killed 14 women, claiming he was “fighting feminism.”
At Sparrow For Hair, on December 1 and 2, stylists will be providing free cuts and colours to any woman who may be struggling financially.
It’s an event Stacey Goldade, Sparrow For Hair co-owner, calls a Celebration of Women, with this year being the fourth annual event.
“We kind of based it around [the Day of Remembrance] and we wanted to honour women,” said Goldade. “[Christmas] is a tough time for a lot of people and can be lonely and this is a luxury that a lot of people and women can’t afford. We thought what a better way [to support women] but to give our services and give back to the community and do something positive,” she said.
Goldade said that Sparrow For Hair is looking to help women who may have had a rough past, who may suffer from mental illnesses or “never had an opportunity to get ahead” in life.
“Those are the women we’re looking for and want to help out,” said Goldade.
If a woman is not available on either of those days, Goldade says that Sparrow will schedule them in at a later date.
“We try to accommodate every woman who calls us,” she said.
In addition to Sparrow’s services, each woman will also receive certificates, a gift bag and food donated by local Fernie businesses.
Goldade said the amount of donations from businesses is “overwhelming” and that the list of businesses that volunteered was endless.
Among them are Boston Pizza and the Loaf.
“I have had women in their 40s who have never had a professional haircut their entire lives,” said Goldade of the women who have come to the Celebration of Women. “It’s one of those things where when you feel good about how you look, you feel more positive.”
Goldade added, “I can’t even describe how it feels to do this. It’s the best two days of the year for me … I have never experienced that form of true gratefulness from anyone else, they’re so thankful and it’s the best feeling ever.”