FSJ Women’s Resource Society talks hygiene to raise awareness

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local women’s organization hosted a week-long event to raise awareness about hygiene and health in Fort St. John. 

The Fort St. John Women’s Resource Society organized Hygiene Week from May 4th to 8th. 

“The main goal was to spread awareness of hygiene and health [among] our community,” said Lilly Loichinger, the society’s Outreach Store co-ordinator. 

The society partnered with multiple organizations that provided education on various health and hygiene topics.  

“We’re doing it mainly to raise awareness on how important it is to keep your health in mind, but also how important hygiene is to people,” she noted. “It provides a feeling of self-worth and happiness when you are able to properly take care of yourself.”  

The society received hygiene products from the Lippy Lemon, while Probe Corrosion donated hygiene kits that included shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream, and a razor. 

In addition, Soul Sweet Cafe and 250 Pizza provided the society with pizza for two days. 

“We were able to provide a warm meal for people while they were here attending [educational] groups,” Loichinger added. 

The society hosted multiple educational group sessions, which Loichinger said covered various health and hygiene topics, including feminine hygiene, sexually transmitted infections, oral health, infestations, mental health and hygiene, foot care and foot hygiene. 

“Drea [Kurjata] from Drea’s [Footcare and Esthetics]…[was] doing free foot care for clients. She was here for two days to…take care of people’s feet,” she noted. “We also had the Hair Bin; they provided two of their workers to us for the day to do a bunch of haircuts, which was absolutely wonderful.” 

In total, 111 people participated in the group sessions, and approximately 250 people benefited from hygiene products and services distributed during the week. 

Loichinger said it is “fairly important” for the society to spread the message about Hygiene Week. 

She said: “We definitely want all of the people that come and see us regularly to know that they are cared for, know that they matter.” 

“We definitely want to encourage health and hygiene [among] everyone in the community, regardless of age or gender, because of the health concerns when people do not manage their health and their hygiene.”

She said the Women’s Resource Society is always looking for hygiene products. 

“If anybody has any doubts on what they can donate, they should just give the office a quick call when we’re open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and it’s always very wonderful to receive these types of donations,” she noted.

“They do help quite a lot of people and even if you’ve opened the shampoo bottle and you’re realizing [that’s] not a scent I’m comfortable with, just give us the call, let us know what it is and we’d still be happy to accept it, even if the shampoo conditioner body wash is open.”