Most Thursday afternoons at Christenson Village, seniors enjoy a cup of tea and conversation while they wait to receive a manicure from one of the TLC Salon teens.
The goal for the five girls is to practise their skills in beauty care and customer service, but what they have received and given is much more.
"I think all the girls look forward to Thursdays," 17-year-old Chiara Iaquinta said while massaging resident Mary Richardson's hands.
"The girls are lovely and being pampered is nice," Richardson added.
The two carried on chit chatting about everything from how much Richardson's hands have changed with the manicures to the high cost of supplies in the beauty industry to boyfriends.
The girls are enrolled in the semester long, credit course through the Sunshine Coast Alternative School. Rick Gibb is the teacher for the group with classroom instruction in the morning. Tammy Saigeon, a child and youth worker with experience as a hair stylist and now working with her fifth TLC group, is their instructor.
"We take five to seven students in grades 10 to 12. Next term we will have two mentor students who have already taken this course. They are in it because it is the field they want to study and the expectations of them will be different," said Saigeon.
Sixteen-year-old Allysa Dempster prepped Violet Maycock's hands for nail polish and said, "I want to get through high school first "Maycock interjected, "Yes, get through high school first."
TLC Salon has been a partnership between the assisted living unit of Christenson Village and the Alternative School for two years, providing experience for the students and free manicures for the residents. Yet, all those involved in the program said they get much more out of it.
After a hug and helping her next client into a chair, Allysa could be overheard asking the elderly woman how her dizzy spells were this week and teasing her gently about various subjects that showed the young woman had taken a genuine interest in her client.
"The students are apprehensive at first, but then they learn the skills to be confident," Saigeon said.
Saigeon said the seniors are perfect to work with and the girls are learning how to carry on a conversation with their clients, which is so important in their line of work. Saigeon said beauty care is very intimate and nurturing because the girls are touching their clients' hands and caring for them, so conversation and the ability to put them at ease are crucial. In turn, she said the girls have grown fond of the seniors and special relationships have blossomed.
Saigeon said the success rate of TLC Salon is high. Two students moved to Powell River to complete the ACE-IT hairdressing course that will see them graduate with their Grade 12 diploma and some college courses, putting them ahead as they move on to further training.
Chelsea Paul has her eyes set on a similar plan. The 17-year-old expects to graduate in another year with her Grade 12 and is considering moving up to Powell River for the ACE-IT courses too.
"I want to be a stylist and do nails," the soft-spoken teen said. "It's fun and they [seniors] just enjoy it," Chelsea said, gesturing warmly at the women in the room. Saigeon said two men who shyly started to take part in the program are now regulars. Bruce Devereux, recreation and volunteer manager at Christenson Village, said he jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with the school."This intergenerational bonding and community linking benefits all involved," said Devereux. "Hopefully the students' lives are enriched by contact with our seniors, because I know for a fact that our seniors cherish the time they spend with the students."
TLC Salon will start again with a fresh group of youths in February with two mentor students guiding them, Saigeon supervising and the guarantee of laughter and friendship.
