Today I thought I might share a bit about how I give back to the community. I have become a donation specialist for Wigs For Kids(wigsforkids.org) and it has already been so rewarding.
I am, apparently, the only stylist in my area that does this. I find this strange, because it doesn't take that much time to become a specialist. Also, I feel that it is a wonderful charity to support and think that other stylists might want to. Perhaps, they aren't aware that the program exists. Well, whatever the reason, I am the only one in a large radius that provides the actual service for donation. I have people visit from many locations around me. Some make the trip specifically to do their donation, others include the salon visit into their other plans in town.
I choose to only charge $14 for the service. Even though I feel like I am doing the donors a disservice by charging at all, but I need to be able to mail the donations to the company. It is my way of being able to make a little difference in the lives of children who are in need of wigs. I don't have the financial ability to support the charity with money, but I can offer my hands and my skills to help.
There have been many wonderful people who have donated for differing reasons. One was a young lady who grew her hair out specifically to donate it. Another young man was getting ready to enlist in the military, he thought it would be better to donate than to have his hair on the floor of the military barber. A few have donated as a part of a semi-annual tradition, they grow it until it is long enough to donate and then they start over. There was even a family who brought their mother's hair in after she had passed on. That was a tough one, I could feel the grief, but was honored to be able to assist in making the donation happen.
Some people have just barely enough to meet the 12 inch length requirement, some have much more than that. Everyone that can donate is welcome in my chair. I am thrilled that I can use my skills to be able to make a positive impact.
