Cape Breton food bank offers salon experience to clients needing haircuts

A Cape Breton food bank is offering clients free haircuts with the help of donated equipment and time.

Debbie Murphy, a hairdresser in North Sydney, N.S., for 46 years, was looking for a way to give back to her community when she came up with an idea to put a salon in the food bank in North Sydney.

"As a hairdresser, it gives me great joy when I cut somebody's hair and they look in the mirror and they're like, 'Yeah, I love it,'" said Murphy.

Murphy approached Lawrence Shebib, the food bank's executive director, with the idea. Shebib said he had been interested in offering haircuts at the food bank for a long time.

The food bank has been expanding its services over the past few years with programs like a community garden and youth activities. It will soon be home to affordable housing units, too. 

A matter of dignity

Shebib said it's important for people's dignity to have access to services like haircuts. He said many people forgo self-care in tough times.

"They feel better about themselves ... when they're looking good," said Shebib.

Murphy put a call out to other hairdressers in the area, who offered up chairs and dryers. A local furniture store supplied the mirrors on the wall.

Three other hairdressers have stepped up to offer their services on a monthly basis as well.

"I thought it was going to have to do a large fundraiser," Murphy said. "Equipment is not cheap, but every bit of it has been donated."

Information Morning - Cape Breton8:19Food bank offers free haircuts

When people are struggling to put food on the table, sometimes other priorities get set aside, like getting a haircut. Clients of the North Sydney Food Bank will no longer have to make that choice. 

Murphy said it was important to have the spot look and feel like a regular salon. She wants clients to have a comfortable experience in a private space.

"Every person that is having their haircut here would have the same dignity as if they were in a salon paying for their haircut," Murphy said.

More volunteers wanted

Clients of the food bank will start receiving vouchers for the haircuts next week. They will call the number on the voucher and book a haircut at a time that's convenient for them.

Murphy expects to do about 200 haircuts a year. 

The hairdressers who volunteer at the salon will all choose how many hours they volunteer every month and when they will be available. Murphy hopes more volunteers will join in.