Many of us take our beauty routines for granted. In addition to being able to enjoy a haircut on a whim, we have no doubt, unless we forgot to pick it up or place an order, that shampoo, conditioner, and other personal-care products will be waiting for us in our bathrooms. But to millions of unhoused people, even the most basic haircut is a luxury, and access to hygiene products aren’t guaranteed.
With this in mind, hair-care brand Hair Proud has partnered with several independent salons across the country and StandUp for Kids to launch A Cut Above. In line with StandUp for Kids’ mission of helping unhoused youth, this new initiative offers free haircuts to young people experiencing housing insecurity.
“Young people work very hard to fit in and not look homeless. The longer they are on the street, the harder it becomes. Imagine when you finally want to make a change, not having anywhere to clean up,” StandUp for Kids board member Kelly Fields said in a statement. “A fresh, clean haircut is an excellent start. This is why we are proud to partner with Hair Proud to raise awareness through this campaign.”
Hair Proud products, which are available at Walmart, will be stocked at each of the salons participating in the A Cut Above program. Those salons are located in Arizona, California, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Illinois, New York, and Virginia — specific participating salons can be found on the Hair Proud website.
“Upon launching Hair Proud, we were moved to react to the lack of access to general self-care services for those experiencing housing insecurity,” says Nora Zukauskaite, global marketing director at I Am Proud, Hair Proud’s parent company. “Our mission to empower our community is inclusive to all, and [we] hope A Cut Above is a step towards instilling self-confidence in youths experiencing homelessness. We are proud to be partnering with the amazing ongoing work that StandUp for Kids is doing for young people.”
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