About 240 people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless came out for haircuts, a hot meal and other services at a City of Brantford event held on Wednesday.
Registry Week: Coming Together involved a number of community organizations and volunteers who also offered clothing, harm reduction services, personal care and housing applications to those in need.
The event was held jointly with the 2023 Point in Time Count, to help determine the extent and nature of homelessness in a community in a single point in time.
Outreach volunteers completed surveys throughout the city and across designated locations in the County of Brant.
Information gathered from the surveys will help funders, system planners and service providers make adjustments and improvements to reduce homelessness, said Mary Musson, the city’s director of housing and homelessness.
“We are so grateful to all of the dedicated volunteers and local organizations that stepped up to bring this much needed event to our community,” said Musson. “By hosting this event we are able to help individuals access the services and resources they need all in one place and to make important connections to community supports and resources.”
More than 20 community organizations participated. Among them was Shallow Creek Academy of Hair Design which had 10 student stylists providing free hair washes and trims.
The Brantford Food Bank and St. Andrew’s Soup for the Soul program provided meals and takeaway snack bags to participants.