Hailey Boechler, Michelle King, Celeste cook #15 Haircuts for Hope.

Listener Discretion Advised: This episode includes honest conversations surrounding mental health struggles, addiction, grief, loss, and suicide. Our intention is to create awareness, encourage healing, and share hope through real stories and lived experiences. Some topics may be difficult for certain listeners. Please take care while listening and seek support if needed.

Haircuts for Hope taken place on August 30, 2026, at the Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre 10:00AM- 5:00 PM

In this powerful episode of the Life Is Limitless Podcast, Cody Demerais sits down with three incredible women whose compassion and commitment to their community have sparked a movement of hope. Hailey Boechler Founder of Haircuts For Hope, Michelle King Executive director at the Saskatoon Indian and Métis friendship centre, Celeste cook mother of Devan who had passed away from a toxic drug supply last year in March.

Together, they share the story behind Haircuts for Hope, a grassroots initiative dedicated to supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, mental health challenges, and other difficult life circumstances. What began as a simple act of kindness has grown into an event that restores dignity, builds connection, and reminds people that they are not alone.

Throughout this heartfelt conversation, you'll hear stories of loss, resilience, healing, and the determination to create positive change. The discussion explores the realities many people face in our communities, the importance of breaking down stigma, and how meaningful human connection can truly save lives.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How Haircuts for Hope is making a real impact in the lives of vulnerable community members.
• The power of dignity, compassion, and meeting people where they are.
• The personal stories that inspired this movement and continue to fuel its growth.
• Practical ways anyone can support those struggling with addiction, homelessness, and mental health challenges.
• Why community involvement and human connection are more important than ever.

This conversation is a reminder that hope often begins with a single act of kindness. Whether you're passionate about community service, mental health advocacy, or simply want to hear inspiring stories of people making a difference, this episode will leave you encouraged and motivated to take action.

Because sometimes changing a life starts with showing someone they matter.

Thank you for sharing two of the most precious resources one human being can share with another: your time and your energy.

If you found value in today's episode, please help us grow the Life Is Limitless Podcast by sharing it with a friend, subscribing on YouTube, and leaving a like, rating, or review. Every share helps us reach one more person who may need to hear this message.

Until next time, remember: life is limitless.

If you would like to support the show, you can use this button below:

buymeacoffee.com/codydemerais 

Music Intro and Outro:

Track Title: City Of Angels
Artist Name(s): LNDÖ

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Okay, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Life is Limitless podcast. Today I have the honor of sitting with three ladies here on the other side, the first time ever for this podcast. And I'm definitely looking forward to it because we are going to be talking about a meaningful event and some meaningful messages that we'd like to get across today. And today I have uh Michelle King, who's the executive director of the Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Center. I also have Celeste Cook, the mother of Devin, correct?

SPEAKER_03 0:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Yes, okay, perfect. Thank you very much. And we have Haley Beckler, the founder of Haircuts for Hope, and also works at Straight Up. And I also have in my description here is a recovering addict and lived on the streets for a few years and has had some situations with friends, unfortunately, passing due to some overdoses and things of that matter. First of all, I want to thank everyone who's going to be tuning in to this episode. I feel like it's not going to be anything different than the other ones. I think I feel like we're going to have some real conversations. Um at least I can count on myself probably getting close to the emotional line because I normally do every episode, but um very thankful to have all three of you ladies on here together today. And I just appreciate what you guys are gonna be putting together and why you guys are here today.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Yeah, no worries. So maybe because there's three of you, I can try and help direct a little bit more, um, you know, so we kind of stay on track with everything. Haley, let's start with you a little bit, if you don't mind. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the event that is taking place here fairly soon?

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Yeah, so um I'm Haley, obviously, and I'm uh I'm a hair journeyman hairstylist, um, and I also work at Straight Up, um, and I do a little bit of recovery advocate work. Um so my own lived experience is a big part of why this event means so much to me. I spent years struggling with addiction, homelessness, and the challenges that come with that. Um I I lost quite a few friends to overdose over the years, and I've also seen firsthand how important community, support, and compassion can be when someone is trying to find their way forward. Um so haircuts for hope was created from that lived experience, and it's a way to bring people together. Um, it provides people with dignity through free haircuts and connects people to local organizations and resources. Um we like to try to reduce the stigma around it all and raise funds for the Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Center. Um and so the Friendship Center plays an important role for people in our community, experiences, experiencing poverty, homelessness, addiction. Um so that's a big part of why I asked um Michelle here if we can maybe do something, uh, because there's a big um big crisis going on in our city right now, and um so and I think it's also super important um to have Celeste here because Devin's story is is important, and so are many other people whose lives have been lost um um due to addiction. And um so I really appreciate her for being here and being vulnerable. Um and Devin also utilized the the services at the Friendship Center as well, and so that was kind of my my main reason behind this, and so yeah, the event is a great day. We bring together um uh local organizations um to set up the resources, and we like to try to connect those in the community to those resources. Um, we also bring together hairstylists, barbers, aestheticians to provide um free haircuts and beauty services to those who may not get access to those things. And it's really a way of um starting a connection and a conversation with them, helping them feel valued and seen. And um we also do lots of fun things like a silent auction, we have live music, we have a barbecue to feed the community, free barbecue. Um we also have like kids' games and activities and stuff like that, and so you know, um I feel like um compassion sometimes is missing in the community, and so that's what this is really trying to do, and and providing hope to those who are who are struggling. Um we just want them to see uh feel valued and seen, and I know how important that is because I myself have been through hell and back, and I've also been blessed with lots of kindness, and so that's what I hope to provide for those in the community that are struggling. And so, yeah, the event takes place on August 30th from 10 o'clock to 5 p.m. Um and yeah, it's gonna be a great day, and last year we had a pretty good turnout. Um, it was amazing. I was actually blown away. I didn't know what to expect. I thought maybe if we meet 50 people who come in here, that's amazing. But we had hundreds and hundreds of people come in last year. We did about 200 beauty services. We actually had to turn people away at the end uh because we were just running out of time. We fed about 600 people, which we ran out of food halfway through, so then somebody generously donated more money to go pick up some more food, and so yeah, we kept that going. But it was just an incredible day, and so I'm really looking forward to uh what this year brings. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Well, that's absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for being real and honest about that. You know, I said we'll probably touch on some emotional topics, and I can already feel myself getting teary-eyed, so it didn't take long at all for sure. Um, but thank you very much. That's a beautiful, beautiful event, and to help so many. Um quite frankly, like you said, if you had 50 people come to your guys' event, that would have been a success last year, let alone the hundreds that came um to the event and were helped, um, taken care of, fed, watered, you know, all those beautiful things that not everyone gets every single day, every single meal, every single moment, you know. To be heard, seen, and acknowledged, I think, is a lot of times, unless you're in this kind of line of work or unless you've been on the other side, I don't think we always credit how important that truly is for people. To you know, sometimes they're going through tough barriers in life, and sometimes to be acknowledged is simply all a person needs to keep moving forward. So thank you for that. Um Haley, can I ask what would be the absolute desired takeaway you would want from this year's event as being this is the second annual event, and the plans are obviously are to continue a few years moving forward, of course, right? Until this event just keeps going and seeing what happens with it, right?

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Yeah, so I want people to understand that um just because someone may be struggling with addiction or homelessness or poverty, that doesn't define someone's worth. Um every person has a story, every person in this world has value, and every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. And I also hope people leave with a better understanding of the resources and support available in our community. Um, so many people don't know where to turn uh when they're struggling. And if this event helps connect even one person to a support, then we've done our job. Um and I want people to leave with hope. That's why it's called haircuts for hope, you know, whether it be someone receiving a service or a mom who has a um a child struggling with um with addiction or somebody that's personally struggling themselves. Um I I just want people to find a little bit of hope that day. Um because really, like last year, that's that's what it brought for me. Um you know, just seeing everyone coming together as a community and you know, being here for the same reasons. Um I just want people to know that they're not alone and that there is support out there and that people care for them. Um and I'd like to reduce some stigma around this issue as well, and so that's my desire takeaway from this event.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Beautiful. Well, thank you for that. Um I do love the name. Our second daughter's name is Hope, actually, and so it's got a very special meaning. And I too as well, you know, have lived experiences myself of living through addictions. I think I was 11 years old when I got into addictions myself, um, up until in my middle 20 20 years. Um, so I can understand that if a person has a like I said, a little bit of glimpse of you know the light on the end of the tunnel, it uh makes that effort you know a little bit more stronger for that person to pull through.

SPEAKER_05 10:02

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 10:04

So the community came out last year, most definitely. And so the community is already coming out this year as well, too. So um the Indian Friendship Center, of course, here with Michelle. You definitely wanted to help support this event last year. Um, what are you guys looking forward to having as community sport this year? Do you guys have more organizations and you know, things a part of it?

SPEAKER_02 10:30

So it and actually it the event was sort of conceived together, like in collaboration. You know, we we had um lost Devon, our our relative, and uh Celeste son. We were we were devastated here at the friendship center. Uh Celeste was unknown to me at that time, and so was Haley. And in the in the aftermath of that, Haley reached out and said, I want to do something. Like I want to do, I want to do something in the community. And and Haley told this beautiful story about Devin that no matter what the circumstances were where he was with his addiction, he always looked good. And he always placed pride in his physical appearance, and that it stuck with her. And there's another story that is um Haley shared with why that is important to look good when you're when you're recovering. And so we met that first time, and and I don't know what I was thinking, like you know, I didn't know Haley, and I thought, oh, this young lady is just like reaching out, and like what are we gonna do? And so we met, and I said, listen, we talked on the phone first, and I said, I believe in going big or going home. So we're we're taking this to the nth degree, and we had a really big plan that um that we executed um very well, and and Haley was like the most integral part of that because she was just so dedicated and fearless, and she brought uh different groups of people to the center that we didn't um normally work with. And so we were all amazed in the end, at in the end of the event. Everybody was just taken back. And something, you know, for Haley, she wouldn't maybe know that we could easily have 500 people show up here for something, like that's something that the friendship center is used to, but I don't think we ever conveyed that. And you know, we we are a place, we had a warming space that winter that Devin did utilize, and he used the Friendship Center as his address. And ironically, um, after his passing, his driver's license had arrived here that we were able to pass on to Celeste, and we are an address for a lot of people, and so from a from the Friendship Center's perspective, we every single day we have people coming that are so uh marginalized, so um barriered, falling through the cracks, their basic needs aren't met, and we don't have funds for that. There's no program that says, hey, you can buy these things for unhoused people, really. So this event helps put some money into the center so that when we see, as an example, um, we get donations all the time which we utilize and we give directly back into the hands of our relatives, but sometimes there's a shortage like deodorant or lotion or you know, um, we have a surplus of feminine hygiene products, but there may be a time when we don't have those things, or toothbrushes, or whatever that is, umbrellas.

SPEAKER_03 13:50

Or toilet paper for the center for people to utilize, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:53

You know, and so I'm able to use those unrestricted funds that we have raised to purchase the things that we need to get in the hands. So we rely on on those donations, we put together kits of all kinds for hygiene and and but with this money lets me the other day, well, it was maybe a couple weeks ago now. I bought 400 deodorant or $400 worth of deodorant. And deodorant is really expensive. And we have people who are not only unhoused but are in precarious situations that are leaving domestic violence situations, and they don't have sanitary napkins for their daughters or deodorant, and that's a barrier to even attend school and that brings shame. It it's so it so what we did and the people that we worked with, I think it's shocked and surprised. You know, um Haley's stepdad said, Wow, I I just don't know what I was expecting, but this was incredible. It was everything from unhoused people that were being wheeled in in wheelchairs, people that lived in in care homes, people that lived in in um shelters to families that couldn't afford, and and that's why we wanted to have the event at the end of August so that kids could have a fresh haircut before they get their school pictures taken in September, because that really is about that self-esteem and creating equal access to services. And you know, it we we had the uh Red Rum Motorcycle Club. There it was, it's all indigenous men, and they served, they they cooked the foods, and their wives came with them, and they when we ran out of food, they pulled money out of their pockets and we ran to the store and we bought more food, and just the presence of those men changed the entire dynamic. There was no unrest, there was no disrespect, there was just absolute um engagement, joy, and we made the space welcome for everyone, so that no matter how you came, how you presented, you were celebrated and you were welcome, and we shared a meal and we offered what we could here in the in the gymnasium. And so it was it was just the most incredible day, actually. And it was born out of so much circumstance, like and it's it's now brought us together, and like Haley is my good friend now, and we now she's my hairdresser in my daughters, and you know, and so we we have it's we've just grown together, and and you know, Celeste has now come on board in a in a bigger capacity this year, and it's just a beautiful a beautiful thing for a beautiful reason.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

I love that. Thank you so much, Michelle. I know you know for events like this, if a community doesn't come together, these events don't happen for sure. It takes all sorts of different pockets of resources for people to come and pitch in, put in, volunteer, uh, offer some time, offer some hands, you know, because if those hands and those resources aren't offered, these events just simply cannot happen by one person. But it definitely does take a team like you three ladies to come, you know, together and really start spearheading it, and it's a beautiful thing for sure. Um, if I'm not, you know, booked up for that day, I'd love to be there. I'd love to help flip burgers, I'd love to help out hand out things, whatever I can do, and uh a promise from my end as well is I'm gonna find whatever resources I can find for merchandise, books, whatever else. I'll buy you know as much deodorant sticks as my wallet will allow me at this time, and I'm gonna ship you guys a nice big box, or I'm gonna come and deliver that myself.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

Amazing. Do you know? I I I normally try not to interject because it's bad manners, but I just want to in this in this moment because when you're talking about you know bringing merchandise, and so for those of you that are listening, one of the biggest things I learned through experience of working here that we need besides deodorant and lotion, because those are the things people donate the last, yeah, socks and underwear.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

And socks and underwear.

SPEAKER_02 18:19

When and I I knew that from firsthand experience. I think I had shared that with you last year, and then somebody else that I work with in the community that I used to teach actually that has lived experience with homelessness, was speaking at an event when we were doing the pit count, and she said she remembered fleeing a domestic violence situation and going to work the next day like nothing had happened, and not having clean socks and underwear, and the shame and humiliation that she felt where she knew that nobody knew that her her underwear and socks weren't cleaned, but she felt terrible about that every single day, and so we do have women that come families and we try as much as we can to make sure that they have access to clean socks and underwear. And I know it seems like such a small thing, but they're expensive, and it's hard to have access to those things, and so we do have people sometimes come and just drop their dirty socks in our lobby and put on a clean pair and leave, you know. And so, for people that are listening, socks and underwear are one of the biggest things, and and deodorant, of course, and lotion and other hygiene items as well, you know. Beautiful. So I just have to throw that in there.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

No, thank you very much. That this is about awareness, right? This is about what resources, what commitments, what energy we can put towards this event and everything else that all this stands for, as well, to make this as big of an impact as possible. And so for those who are listening, please listen to Michelle about those resources that can definitely be used because um, for somebody who has a you know a place that they go every night, they lay their head down, they wake up, they have their shower in their bedroom or their sorry, their house, you know, we don't think of these things all the time. So please, if you have a moment, if you have the time, you have the resources, stop by the center. And uh, I know a lot of people would benefit from that. So thank you, Michelle, for sure. Um, let me see here. Now, Celeste, I would love to chat with you if if that's okay. So, thank you for of course being a part of this conversation together as well. Now, Celeste, um, your son, Devin. We chatted briefly about him. You mind giving us maybe a little bit more of a background? Yeah, please.

SPEAKER_03 20:47

Okay, so Devin was a middle child, um, quintessential middle child. Um my first marriage ended in a divorce, and Devin really struggled with that for a long time. Um, so from there in elementary school, he was acting out, and uh I had identified really um because there's other people on both sides of the family that have some mental health issues. Um so way back when he was still in elementary school, I was you know bringing him to the doctor, bring in the counselors, we did family counseling, we did all this stuff. Um, and it just wasn't, we weren't getting the answers we needed. And uh of course it continued into high school where he started experimenting with drugs. I think even before then, probably, if I'm being honest, it was probably in grade seven or eight when he started. Um so then the lashing out and the extreme highs and lows, like Devin was here or here, he was never here. So again, as it's getting worse, um you know, we're going to counseling, we're going to doctors, and I'm trying to get him diagnosed. I'm trying to find out like what the underlying mental health issues are. And um it got to the point where he was getting to be 16, and I was actually told by our family doctor at the time that if I continued to try to get him in to get assessed for mental health, um, and as she put it, tried to force medication upon my child, which I wasn't. I was just looking for the resources to get him diagnosed with what maybe he had, um, that she would have to report me to the government, um, because that's what she felt at the time was that I was just trying to medicate my child, like with ADHD or you know, whatever. And uh there definitely was, and we'll never know, even the extent of his mental health issues. And of course, you put that in with drug use and drinking, and it's just a hot mess, right? So that continued. Um, and I was going through a divorce at the time, and so of course, I'm gonna back down a little bit. I'm a single mom, and I'm scared I'm gonna lose my two children to uh you know, this doctor reporting me. Um so then it continues. Uh, he struggled through high school, he did the uh what is it, open door program um that was available to him here at downtown Saskatoon, and he did well in that. And then the last year of his school, they said, you know, he really doesn't belong here, he's a really good kid, um, he comes from a good family, you guys are doing all you can. So we're gonna move him back to Bishop James Mahoney. Um, from there, he met Kelsey, and uh Kelsey and him got pregnant with his first daughter Adeline. So she's about to be 10 here this September. Um they broke up, um, he spiraled again and got deeper and deeper. Um, it was then instead of just weed and mushrooms and and drinking, um, it became cocaine and just worse and worse. Um, he broke up with Kelsey and then dated Haley briefly, who we got to meet at that point, and she really helped in um being a caretaker for Adeline at a time when he was going back and forth. He was he was trying, he wasn't succeeding. Um and then from there um he has uh well three years ago, uh he has a three-year-old daughter, so he's in another relationship. Um and uh that went well at first too, and then again, just the the chaos of the drug use and and the low self-esteem and uh being caught in a cycle. Um he just didn't see a way out, so they broke up as well. He did some time in jail, unfortunately, um which the first time I would say he was not great. The second time he kind of learned, okay, I better do what I need to do. And at that point, um he did do some of the drug counseling and uh whatnot. But I mean, from there he bounced around, um he utilized uh the center here. Um this was his this was his second family, you know. Um there were people here that were um in his mind accepted more than they would be accepted in our home, and we did come to meet some of those friends that he had at his time he spent here, and uh they were accepted, but he felt just that line, right? Keep his little brother and sister safe, um, keep them away from it. Um but we knew in our heart if he was here and utilizing all the um resources here, um it he was accepted, you know. So um, and then unfortunately, um on March 17th, um he he overdosed and uh passed away from it. It was a mix, it was a the mix of the bad batch, the first of the two bad batches that really hit Saskatoon. So um, yeah, it's uh it is what it is, you know. He knew I'm not the mom that uh, you know, thinks I can I swear in here, Cody? I'm the you know, I'm the fuck around find out mom, you know, law of averages, you know, he knew with me. He was honest with me. Um but he knew that every chance was a gamble with his life. And unfortunately, yeah, it's um it ended how it ended. But sort of have something like this and have, you know, when Haley first heard um and wanted to do an event, there was no doubt in my mind where it should be held. You know, it was it was really, I think, the only place I suggested. Um just like I knew, knowing my son, um first thing in my mind for his funeral was his old elementary school, you know, which he used to climb up on the roof and be a little shit and get in trouble all the time, right? Like Devin was a force to be reckoned with from the day he was born. Um, and unfortunately, uh, I think had some interception, help um, you know, helped him with the mental health issues, he maybe wouldn't have gotten too deep into the dream world. So there were times we didn't know where he was at all. So I'd have uh there was an employee that worked here and she would she would let me know. You know, I'd have people, uh friends all around the city, but hey, saw your son. He held the door open for me. Hey, I was in line at the store, and he said, You have more stuff than me. You go ahead of me. Like he would give anyone the shirt off his back. I saw him one time just off 20th Street, and I stopped to talk to him, and he went over and he literally gave someone in a worse position than him the last two tunies he had on him. Like, you know, and as a mom, like, what are you doing? And it's not that I don't have empathy at all, but it's like, you know, you gotta take care of you. And uh this was a place where he could take care of himself. They helped him with that.

SPEAKER_00 28:20

Oh well, thank you, Celeste, for sharing that. And uh my sincere condolences for the loss of Devin.

SPEAKER_03 28:28

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

It's never easy to lose somebody that we know is battling battles that not everyone can see on the outside. Um, a lot of people battle battles basically inside of themselves that no one really knows anything about.

SPEAKER_03 28:46

And a lot of people misconceive, they just think it's a moral flaw or a choice, right? But I I I believe you do not have addiction without having some sort of mental health issue because you wouldn't make those choices, right? If you were feeling, and that's what this is about, is I I mean, I drive by, I worked right downtown, so I'm driving by the uh Salvation Army crossroads every day, and I'm by here, the center a lot, and I'm by you know, I see the homelessness and the the poverty and uh the drug use, quite frankly. I mean, now because of this place I carry Narcan, right? I'm I'm always, you know, and I I pray for these people when I see them and as I drive by every day to and from work. Like, my prayer to them is just I hope you feel some love. I hope you feel valued by someone today, right? I hope you get a little glimpse of something to give yourself some hope, right? To try to make the best choices you can. And I I truly believe that's that's what this event everyone deserves to be pampered or made feel special or you know, just taken care of a little bit, uh, especially if they're not taking care of themselves. This is a good day for them to just be made to feel really good about themselves.

unknown 30:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:14

I think what's important here in this situation is that Devin was a handsome, smart, athletically talented. He was an incredible soccer player, he had a family who loved him. Ironically, I I discovered that his uncle actually coached my son in soccer.

SPEAKER_05 30:33

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 30:33

And he had uh an incredible mother who loved him, who is competent, who who cared for him. He had everything that he needed, except the support of his mental health. And that's the that's the gap here for so many people that we are dealing with. This is trauma-induced, um, mental health induced, you know, it's it's a symptom.

unknown 31:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:01

And that that needs to be addressed in our community, in our society, in our in our world. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

Well, uh, you know, I truly believe the mental health struggles that people face is a pandemic in itself, quite frankly. Um, and that's coming from yeah, and that's coming from lived experiences myself. That's coming from a mental health speaker, that's coming from somebody who suffers with mental health challenges myself. See, a lot of people, you know, if I can be honest with you guys, because you've all been honest with me, this past month have been constant struggles for my own mental health. Just who I am. You know, there's a time for me for years that I've been this person speaking in front of audiences and stuff, and I thought the mental health just collaborated with my soul, you know, back then because the drugs and the addictions, those things are no longer a part of my life, but that those struggles at times they still exist, they still land with me. And so, like you said, um Celeste, you know, that those things go hand in hand together lots of times, and people are just trying to find a way to live their lives as what they you know think that they need to do, basically. And so some people don't have those resources, some people you know want those resources, but they just don't get them.

SPEAKER_03 32:20

Well, also, Cody, the stigma, like I know for myself personally, it took me until I was in my later 40s to address my own mental health with my doctor, you know. Um, and then trying to uh, you know, encourage my own children. Devin obviously included, you know, this is what I've done, this is what I'm taking, this is why I take it, this is, you know, why I do the counseling, this is why I journal, this is, you know, the reason for all these things. But so there's a bit of that guilt that maybe, you know, I should have addressed my own mental health to teach them better sooner. Um, but Devin was very blessed with having the best people in his life. He there there isn't a person that didn't love him, you know, and uh try to do all they could for him. His every single family member, every girlfriend, every, you know, everyone here at the Friendship Center. Um it's it's something you, yeah, you gotta jump in, dive in the deep end, and deal with your mental health uh when you're ready. And unfortunately, sometimes people just are never ready.

SPEAKER_00 33:30

Well, it is very unfortunate as well, too. You know, it's um years ago, bad batches of drugs weren't as common as they are as of nowadays, as well, too. And that's another tough moment, you know, because um it's not only a person who's struggling all the time with addictions that have lost their lives as well, too. It's people that are going out for one night, you know, getting hands-on so an addictions it doesn't discriminate, you know. Um these these choices and these things that land on us unfortunately don't discriminate. I've seen all races, all religion, all colors, all people of status of life um struggle up and down, you know. So it's not just one particular human being that unfortunately has to go through those situations at times. Um But I think these kind of conversations that we're having together today, I think the event that is coming here in the near future is gonna be absolutely incredible. And I think more people are gonna be helped this year than were last year. And that's not saying you guys didn't put an amazing effort last year. I'm just saying the word is getting stronger, people are understanding that more resources, more help need to be officially, you know, brought together.

SPEAKER_03 34:46

I don't know where everyone's gonna go this year because it's like every inch of this center and outside, every inch was just full.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Like it was we're applying for the street to be shut down, so we're gonna have some things in the street. And so Devin's uncle actually DJ'd and he had live music and he has a business and Maudi. Um and so he played incredible live live music, and then people jammed. So we had people play the guitar, uh singing, you know, doing their part, and we were self-contained in the front of the friendship center. But this year we're gonna go out into the street more and you know invite vendors to have booths and like not so much as vendors, but community support people to get the food out to do their outreach. We had a mental health therapist here actually that donated a bike that was given away. She's coming back. Um, we had so many, we had um Eleanor Sunchild from Sunchild Law that uh donated a hundred makeup kits. So she had gotten a mascara, a lip gloss, and a few pieces of makeup in a hundred bags uh, so you could actually get a kit of some light makeup. And we had people putting on the the makeup, and and this woman, Haley, I'm telling you, she has this ability to garner up support like I have never seen. And so I'm like, how did you do that? We all kept saying, How did you do that? And she's like, Well, I just asked them. And I'm like, you know, I swear, sometimes, like, sometimes when you've been through things and you've had lived experience, you don't ask because you you feel that people won't support you. But she just has this courage. And I mean, this this gym was filled. There was 14 stylists and estheticians that donated their entire day. Yeah, and we have haircuts, hairstyles, waxing. I thought I don't even have time to take care of myself. I should give them some services, and um little mini um manicures, and you know, we we had wanted some diabetic foot care, and we we wanted a few things. This year we're actually confirmed there's going to be, I haven't even told you, a trans and and two s LGBTQ friendly makeup application and support booth. So for those folks that are also um barriered and marginalized in our community who don't feel safe, we'll have some outreach and support for them with for their um aesthetic you know needs. So it it's growing, you're right, it is growing, and some of the vision that we had last year is coming to fruition this year.

SPEAKER_01 37:27

Like a thing that's new this year is we didn't have so many uh community organizations coming to provide their resources and whatnot. Um, so this year that's gonna be a huge part of it because I think what is missing is that connection to those resources because people don't know what's out there in our community for some help, and so we're hoping that that street this year is just filled with um booths from different organizations. I think we already have confirmed chokes chokecherry studios, the Library of Things is coming and doing games and stuff for the kids. We're gonna contact um plenty more, but uh Out Saskatoon. Um yeah, we we're just we're hoping that street is filled with resources, and you know, the amount of support we got from different like um or businesses in the community to donate like silent auction items was quite phenomenal. Um and we had who I had actually um went to talk to was the students at MC College here, and and if for those of you who don't know, MC College is uh a hairstyling school and an institution school, um I actually went through there uh to get my my hair styling, and so we had I think 10 students from there show up along with a teacher to, and they really they really took the lead on that whole thing, and so we also had Chalk Salon come and bring a few people, um, and then a few different um individuals who kind of worked on their own came and and yeah, and my youngest daughter thinking she could just show up and cut hair in the middle of it all, Devin's children were here and dancing and having uh an incredible time, and that was just yeah, it was like sometimes I was like, I can't even look at this baby here, you know.

SPEAKER_02 39:19

And um and and the connections that we had and the people that we knew, and you know, I I know Devin's um like um the the baby mama's family. Like I didn't know that. I like the you know, his uncle came and who taught who coached my son, and like the connections that we we had that we discovered were I her I went to school with with um these aunties and graduating together, and she's like, Do you know my aunt? I'm like, what? And then I and she came and and she looks a bit like her actually, and I it just was just weird, you know. So the the community came together, and it's true we are all related, and the the support and the love, like because you know, you work in this um environment, like in the wake of Prairie Harm closing. Oh you think of the sometimes the haters out there, yeah, and there was just zero haters. Yeah, it was just zero haters, it was all love here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's incredible. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

Well, I'm definitely a firm believer that you know I'm gonna get a little spiritual woo-woo here, but I believe the energy put out into the world's energy that can come back to you a lot of times too. And you guys doing this for the right reasons, the right purposes. There's a reason why that that event last year was filled with nothing but love. Yeah, it's because that's where it came from.

SPEAKER_03 40:44

Well, Haley had the had the idea of having a memorial garden so we were able to put up, you know, write-ups and pictures of people that we've lost to overdose, and even that, the amount of people, everybody, from you know, people that maybe, you know, addicted themselves to someone maybe straight business guy off the street thinking that maybe does look down on marginalized people, you know. Um everybody was stopping, it was amazing. Yeah, yeah, and really taking it in, you know, not just a okay, whatever, you know. Really reading those stories and taking it in and coming to understand, yeah, everybody is somebody, somebody, you know? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:30

It was the former um office of the treaty commissioner, like the former treaty commissioner, Mary Culbertson, was out there barbecuing with Eleanor Sunchild and Eleanor's daughter, and you know, it just everybody we we rented a bouncy castle from my stepson's classmate who was 12 years old, and he has a business, a snow cone and and bouncy castle, and we gave him a hundred bucks and we had a little bouncy castle in the parking lot for kids, and like every little piece of this was everywhere just entrenched in community, and it was so lovely, and I just look forward to to that this year. And actually, I'm looking forward to the prizes the most because like we a dentist donated $2,000, five, like four five hundred dollar gift certificates for dental work, which we know when people are suffering from addictions that dental work is really important, and they were part of the silent auction, but like who does that? I mean, who cares that much, right? And it's I was just amazed at the at the and every once in a while, hey, you will send me a picture. I got this donated. I'm like, what? I just do that, you know, and so so we welcome donations big and small, and and you know, I'd like to have some door prizes. And uh the Saskatoon Co-op is a partner of ours, and they're giving us some duffel bags this year. And they had a huge event, and they have these duffel bags uh left over, and so some of our unhoused relatives they need those bags to carry their belongings, and so we'll be quietly you know giving those away to some of the people that we notice need um a bag, and you know, we'll be doing a little bit a few more things for the children as well. I'd like to have a bike giveaway. We have a bicycle and a helmet that we can, you know, brand new that we can um have a draw for and just different things to make people and that's that's I think what it was was you know, when you have an event in the city, unhoused people are chased away. Yeah, they're not welcome. Yes, you know, the police are there, security are there, people are there shunning. And we this event was a street party in their honor. Yes, that's exactly what it was. And everybody was welcome from every walk of life, and there was not one altercation or one incident, nothing, not one angle. Person, there was just pure joy, and I just it was just overwhelmingly incredible.

unknown 44:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:09

That's that's definitely beautiful. I know um Mary. Oh, sorry about that. I I had a little delay on my end, but please continue, Haley.

unknown 44:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:21

Oh yeah, I was just like seeing seeing the smiles on people's faces after they had gotten those services, and you know, hearing all the thank yous and and smiles after they're getting a warm meal that some people maybe haven't even ate in three days at that point, right? And just seeing that just brought me to tears over and over and over again because I know what it's like to be stepped over on the sidewalk or to be shunned away or to look be looked down on, and you know, just being able to provide that bit of dignity and love and support and make people feel valued and important was just absolutely so important and incredible to me. And so I'm really looking forward to that part again. And you know, hearing some of those stories that people were were offering while they were getting their haircuts, and and you know, uh stopping me aside to to talk to me and tell me a little bit about their story, and you know, you really don't know what someone is struggling with, and I yes, I just think I'm just looking so forward to this year um to see all those people walk through the door and walk out with a smile on their face.

SPEAKER_03 45:31

So I think that uh I know personally some of my friends and family that volunteered and expect to feel the way they felt in participating in something like that. I don't think they were sure what they were, you know, gonna experience and they were asking immediately when's the next one? I can't believe that changed my life. You know, I I need to do stuff like that more. So um that that's good as well, right? That helps that helps change people's mindsets.

SPEAKER_00 46:01

Yeah. Well, and it's you know, one person that can come volunteer if they're kind of just coming by themselves, they have a family tree, they have colleagues of work colleagues, right? And it's it's not just one person leaving with a different perspective, it's a very good possible chance of dozens of people from that one person's perspective changing could also change dozens of people's perspectives, which is um you know a chainfall reaction of a lot of beautifulness of people understanding what somebody might be going through and the struggles that somebody might be going through. So another addition of why this event is such a powerful, powerful time together for sure. Um, let me see here. Uh sorry, I'm a little nose runny today, a little emotional this morning. It's it's a clean example. I think this event is already, from what I've seen, what I've heard, what I understand of it, I think it's already shaped to be as impactful as you know, as no one can uh truly understand how impactful it's gonna be. I believe there's gonna not only be hundreds, I believe there's gonna be a good chance that there could be thousands, a couple thousand people show up to this event between volunteers, services, and people who could use some extra little help of hope in their life. And I I love that. I'm so thankful that you three are here together today and chatting with this. I hope not for just the podcast to grow or anything, I just hope that this message, this episode, just gets heard by hundreds, if not thousands, of people before this event. Who, you know, maybe 10% of those people who can help or want to help come and help one way or the other, whether it's services, donations, just getting the word out. Um that is my hope for today for sure. And I think you ladies did an amazing job describing and sharing and just being real and authentic. And I think that's what this podcast needed today. So um maybe if we can touch on maybe a message from each of you as we kind of near our closing remarks of our time together. Um maybe Celeste, if you want to share a last few couple sentences or closing remarks of what our time together looked like today, or whether it's the event, your hopes, your plans, whatever it is.

SPEAKER_03 48:30

I just hope the event uh continues to grow and do as well as it did uh last year. I'm looking forward to. I mean, for us personally as a family, it's uh another way to honor my son, right?

SPEAKER_00 48:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:44

Um, and I know he's looking down and loving every minute of it, honestly. Um personally, I think if you are out there and you're dealing with someone who uh is battling addiction, don't enable. Once I stopped enabling, Devin and I, our relationship got a hundred times better. Once I was honest about his addiction, he could become more honest about his addiction. And uh that took away some of the shame. And the second thing would be tell them you love them every single time. Everyone deserves to hear that they're loved. Uh we had a saying, sorry, we have a saying in our family, um, love you more times four. So um tell them times four, tell them times four hundred, four thousand every chance you get, because you never know when will be your last time.

SPEAKER_00 49:46

Thank you very much, Celeste. That's a beautiful couple touch points for sure. Thank you. And appreciate that a great deal. I'm sure a lot of people can resonate with what you just shared. So thank you. Haley, would you like to share a couple, you know, remarks here as we kind of near the end of our time together?

SPEAKER_01 50:06

Yeah, um I guess what I want to see more in this world right now is some compassion. And soul recovery taught me that compassion can change someone's whole world. Um, sometimes, you know, it's not like a treatment program or a speech or some life-changing moment, but someone who listens to you, someone who sees you as human, um, sees you as a human being and who believes you're worth helping can really set it a set a difference in someone's world. And I that's why a big part of why haircuts for both matter so much to me. Um, a haircut might seem really simple to some people, but it's really about dignity, connection, and letting people know that they matter. Um, we all deserve to be seen as people and treated with dignity and respect, and we all deserve to feel valued in this world, and so I think we just need to open up our hearts a little bit for one another because you really never know what someone is going through, and so that would be my message today is show some compassion.

SPEAKER_00 51:14

Thank you very much, Haley. I appreciate that, and I'm very glad um a friend of mine, like my best friend Alan Kaylor, introduced us together.

SPEAKER_01 51:23

Yes, I'm very grateful for that. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 51:26

I'm very thankful for coming across paths, all three of you, truly. And I really look forward to seeing you guys in person that day of that event. Um, Michelle, any remarks?

SPEAKER_02 51:39

I I think it's important, you know, even for me to acknowledge that um I have lived experience with this in a different way. I lost my mother when I was 13. She was drinking and driving and was in an accident and ultimately succumbed to that. Um she died. And I was put in foster care. And my siblings and I were placed in different homes, we lost contact with one another, and we spent the you know, the greater part of you know, 27 years trying to get back to one another. And there were times when I didn't have a winter jacket or boots, or sometimes I was worried about my next meal, but I was so afraid of becoming addicted because of the addiction and mental health in my family, because my mom had died in a car accident while drunk. I stayed away from drugs and alcohol, and I became uh, you know, an overachiever, which is often a sign of damage in a different way, you know. And I'm open about that now because I recognize it. And people people look at overachievers or workaholics like they are like with a different level of respect than somebody that uses another substance or a vice to deal with trauma. And so, you know, I'm out here on the front lines helping people every day with with um compassion and recognizing that I'm no different or any better than the next person. And when we often, when I am here at the center, I'll be talking and someone will say, Michelle, is that you? Michelle? Because I have a very loud and distinct voice. And it's people that I've taught, people that I've I grew up with, people that I graduated from grade eight with, people that I've known since I was five years old, come to the center that are in need. And sometimes we have a big hug and we cry, and and sometimes I'm really shaken up for a very long time after those encounters because I sometimes think it's like being in the river on a piece of ice that cracks and someone falls in and you don't fall in, and you have that survivor's guilt. And and so it this is very emotional, you know, for all of us for different reasons. And um and I just implore people to think about that. Think about those people in their own families and think about themselves that we all need support and we all need connection and we all need dignity. And do you want to be someone who makes the world a better place? Or do you want to make the place the the world a worse place for others to be in?

SPEAKER_00 54:32

Yeah, every single one of us has those two choices that for sure. Yeah, well, I really appreciate that, Michelle, too, and that vulnerability. Thank you. I know a lot of people resonate with that too, myself included, about the overachiever. I I'm a workaholic, so I can relate with that. But I've also been the drug addict that has prayed and begged for hope for me to turn over on the other side. So this is my better version of myself. I know that. So but thank you. Um you know, you want to talk about the connections, and sometimes they stay with you a little bit longer than you know, just a mutual small conversation. I don't know if you three ladies are familiar with uh a challenge called Sanctum Challenge, but I did uh the Sanctum Challenge in Prince Albert for the first year that we had last year. And so, of course, like I said, I've been in and out of addiction since I was 11 years old until like my mid-20s. I'm 32 now, so it's a long time that I associate my life with those. I was uh one of the participants in the Sanctum Challenge, and we're getting coffee in the morning at the Friendship Center in Prince Albert, actually, downtown. And I'm laying line, and somebody walks by me that I haven't seen since I was about 14 or 15. And it's a gentleman that's been living on the streets for a few years. And I distinctively remember his face because when I met him 14-15 years old, when I was, his cheeks were swollen, his eyes were swollen inside, you know, very um very empty, you know, there wasn't substance or sustenance to his health at that time. And I just remember that image being in my head since I seen him 14-15, and I came across him, and the past few years he's still been in his hard drug addictions and his place of life, and the way I connected with him those all those years ago is that a good friend of mine at that time had a cabin at the lake, and I used to go and you know drink and drug at this cabin. And so um my friend's dad and this gentleman would smoke hard drugs together, and I always remember this fur person's face very distinctively. And I came across him at this time last year, and it just stuck with me that this gentleman's been living this life for so many years. And one of the things I took hardest from that whole event is that that person has lived his life for so many years like this. But he just he goes unseen, unheard, unacknowledged probably so many times of his life because he unfortunately is in a place that he's just you know getting through day-to-day, basically, unfortunately. So those moments, those situations stay with us, and we don't know why all the time, but um I think there's something of these events coming together that hopefully those kind of stories of people maybe living in those circumstances can come on the other side of those those moments of their lives. And my hope for this event is that more people will be coming on the other side of their their struggles and their their times in life that it might be tough right now. But I want to thank all three of you ladies once again for the work that you're doing, the putting the event together, the conversations that you shared here today. All three of you have been very vulnerable, open, and real, and we also mixed in with uh a little bit of laughter, which is good medicine, as we all know, too. Um thank you very much, ladies, once again. Do you guys have anything else that you'd like to close? Maybe a time, a place, um, what to expect, one more last kind of run around if somebody's listening. Oh, yeah, I can bring this at that time, that day. Anything else you guys want to add?

SPEAKER_01 58:28

Yeah, I guess so. The event will be held um on August 30th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Um at the Saskatoon Indian Metis Friendship Center, which is 168 Wall Street in Saskatoon here. Um if you'd like to um volunteer, maybe uh send a donation over. Um if you're a hairstylist that wants to partake in making people feel good about themselves, um, or maybe you have a silent auction item to donate, or maybe you're an organization that wants to get involved and share your resources. Um maybe I can send you my email and you can link it or something like that. I'm not sure how that goes. Um, but um I guess I can say it right now. My email is h-a-i-le k dot mc2021 at gmail.com. Uh let's talk, let's connect, and let's come together as a community and make this thing happen. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:30

Anything else? You can also contact the Saskatoon Indian and Me T Friendship Center, call reception, um, you can they'll put you through to me and we can have a discussion, you can drop things off, uh, whatever, whatever that looks like for you. Whether it's a box of burgers, yeah, you know, a bottle of ketchup, you know, something, a bag of chips, whatever, whatever people have that they would like to contribute is valued. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 59:57

No item, uh, too small or too big, no service too small or too big. Yes, absolutely. Beautifully, yeah. And Celeste, anything more that you want to touch on? I know we kind of went through a round of this, but I just want to make sure you guys get the space.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:13

I just thank you for bringing you know uh awareness to this event and uh for your honesty too, you know. Um I think that's the only way the next generation is going to uh be successful going forward is by us everyone being honest, you know, raw honesty um gets you the support that you need. It it's hard, but yeah, it's I know Haley's done it, uh Michelle, uh myself, you know. It's you find your people, and this is an event where you you find your people.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:51

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:52

So Cody, thanks so much for having us on. We really appreciate it. Yeah, taking the time out of your day and and having us on your podcast, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:02

And congratulations to you for your sobriety and your success, Cody. Absolutely, that's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:07

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:08

Appreciate that. Thank you very much. Um, no, it's it's been a pleasure with all three of you. And like I said, I do look forward to if it is not that day for whatever reason comes in my path between then. I know it one day will be a day that we'll get to cross paths, and uh, I would love a big open hug from all three of you. Yeah, so it's been a pleasure. Thank you very much for the event that you guys are hosting and putting together. Uh, thank you for the work, and I'm hoping that you know, like I said, this is going to be heard by a lot of people because a lot of um touch points, a lot of emotional, you know, impactful stories were shared today. So once again, thank you, ladies, and every single person who is going to be listening, whether it's five people or ten thousand people, yeah. Thank you for giving us your time and your energy, and those are two of the most precious resources another human being can give to another human being. My name is Cody Demory, and we had the privilege to share some stories with Haley, Michelle, and Celeste. So thank you, everybody, and I hope everyone can make it August 30th. Thank you very much, guys.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:14

Thank you.