A neighbourhood group wants to help kids look their best before school starts by offering free trims and buzz cuts, but need some extra hands to do so.
The Alison Neighbourhood Community group in the city's east Galt area, will hold the event on Friday between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Anne's Catholic School, located on 127 Elgin St. N.
The free haircuts are part of the Alison Neighbourhood Community's Back to School Bash. For three years, the organization has been collecting backpacks and school supplies to distribute to children in need. This event is run in partnership with the Cambridge Food Bank and Waterloo Regional Police.
"We've always played with the idea of doing haircuts as well, but we didn't know if we would even get a great response back from the community, or if we would be able to find people willing to donate their time because, obviously, we are not hairdressers," said Jessica Kroetsch, community engagement coordinator. "So we posted it just on our social media this year, added the option of a backpack (filled with school supplies) with a back to school haircut."
"By the time I tallied it all up, we were at 72 (kids), we actually had to take it off the website."
With only three volunteer hairdressers, the group is seeking more volunteers to meet the demand. Kroetsch said one challenge in finding a hairdresser is many are also busy with appointments during the back-to-school season.
"If we could get three more, that would be amazing," said Kroetsch, noting each trim or buzz cut will take 15 to 20 minutes.
One hairdresser who is volunteering for the event, Nicole Hollihan, put a call out for more volunteers in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
"Our community really needs us, every child deserves a haircut every child deserves to feel confident on the first day back to school and every child deserves basic hygiene," said Hollihan in the Facebook post.
Kroetsch agrees, mentioning the group has seen the impacts of COVID on kids firsthand and giving them any sense of familiarity, like a back to school haircut, will help them.
"Without people willing to donate their time, and donate their supplies, we would not be able to do what we do, and we can come up with all of these great ideas, but without our community coming together, it just would not be possible."
Anyone is able to volunteer can email [email protected]. Besides hairdressers, the group will also be accepting donations for school supplies until Friday. For more information about the Back to School Bash, go to alisonneighbourhood.org.
Now realizing the demand, Kroetsch mentions the group would like to continue the program next year.
"I don't know what that will look like in the months, but we are definitely open to the idea seeing if we could fit it again throughout the year," Kroetsch. "I don't know what that will look like, but definitely, back to school haircuts will be happening next year and for years to come."
