US salon offers free treatments for the homeless

With Christmas so focussed on the commercial aspects of successful salon management, it’s heartening to hear how a salon in the US has offered free treatments for homeless people.

Salisbury Salon and Spa in North Carolina gave 72 coupons to local homeless shelter and food bank Rowan Helping Ministries, offering visitors from the shelter free haircuts, manicures and pedicures. Over a dozen of the shelter’s occupants were given beauty treatments, offering many of them the chance to enjoy their first haircut for months or even years.

One such visitor, David Abbott, spoke to the Salisbury Post with great enthusiasm about his new cut: ïI couldn’t wait to get over here and do it,’ he said. ïMaybe with that, I can get a good job.’

Abbott is currently making steady progress, living in transitional housing and earning $75 a month working for the shelter.

Salon owner and manager Lesley Stopper agreed with Abbott’s assessment: ïWe want them to feel good about themselves. When people come in here, it doesn’t matter who they are, we treat them all equally.î Stopper also offered Abbott a free haircut before his first job interview.

Families currently living in the shelter also benefited from the free treatments. Jessica Grimes and her two children (aged eight and five years) each enjoyed a beauty treatment at the salon.

Salisbury Salon’s community efforts are a great way of establishing themselves in the area after their recent opening. Some cynical observers might dismiss this show of goodwill as a publicity stunt, but the salon’s continued commitment to the residents of Rowan Helping Ministries shows that their generosity and kindness is genuine.

Could your salon implement a similarly altruistic scheme that would allow your staff to make use of salon down-time and improve their skills, whilst providing life-changing treatments for those who need them?