‘At times you can feel very alone’: professional portraits help raise spirits for Calgary’s homeless

Melissa Campbell has lived on and off at the Calgary Drop-In Centre for the past 10 years.  Finding a place to rent has been a struggle for her because of the cost and the discrimination she has faced.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Campbell said. “I have been across Canada and I’ve seen all the homeless shelters, and I’ve seen all the problems with people suffering from addiction and homelessness and mental health issues. And if you have addictions or are native or have mental health issues, nobody will rent to you because you are blacklisted in their eyes.”

But this weekend was Campbell’s chance to get away from the routine.

“There are so many people that haven’t had someone comb their hair – or style their hair or have curls put in their hair – for years or decades, or even ever, and they get their own photographer that spends 20 minutes with them and they have a really great time,” said Chantelle Ethier, who was organizing the event on Saturday.

This year marks Ethier’s eighth year of participating in the annual project.

New clothing is provided as well and clients receive glossy portraits within an hour.  Often times the photos are sent to family members who haven’t seen pictures of their loved ones in years. Maria Alexander plans to send one to her daughter in Ontario for Christmas.

“It’s fun because to get your hair and makeup done costs a lot of money and I’m going to school right now,” said Alexander, who has been staying at the Drop-In Centre for the past two months.

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Volunteers say this is all about sending a reminder to clients that they are equal, strong and attractive individuals.

“We believe that a lot of people, unfortunately, have lost their smile throughout the year and this way we can help them get some great self-esteem and roll into the Christmas season with a little bit of respect and dignity and some joy in their hearts,” Ethier said.

Alexandra Kelly is a client at the Drop-In Centre who also volunteers there. She said it can be tough to look your best when money and something as simple as bathroom counter space is limited. But she says perhaps even more important than the makeover, is just knowing that someone is looking out for you.

“For me, it’s nice to know that people care because at times, you can feel very alone,” Kelly said.