A local salon owner wants students in Habersham County to start off the school year on the right foot and has collected haircut vouchers for counselors to distribute.
Dusti Casey, who opened Renown Artistry Beauty Studio in Clarkesville in June, said she had a personal desire to help out the community in any way she could.
“I’ve always had a heart for ministry to people and helping those in need,” Casey said, adding that she sought direction through her church community at Revive Church in Cornelia, which holds a back to school bash. “It was always a desire to do free haircuts for those that need it to help out the community.”
At the suggestion of a church member, Casey opted to go in the direction of vouchers for haircuts versus trying to cut hair at the festival.
“You have to be careful with lice and sanitary issues,” Casey said. “It was easier to have the schools decide who really needs this service and they can pinpoint exactly who it is.”
Habersham County Family Connection Executive Director Donna Barrett said the need for haircuts was brought to her attention through a board member who knew of a grandmother struggling to provide haircuts to her three grandchildren she is raising.
Casey composed a list of all the hair salons in Habersham County and began reaching out. With nine participating salons, Casey was able to collect 190 vouchers for haircuts, which were donated to school counselors on Wednesday.
“I was totally amazed at the generosity by the number of haircut vouchers donated for this cause,” Barrett said.
The donating salons were: Renown Artistry, Nash & Co, Hollywood Hair Works, Four Seasons Styling Salon, Image Emporium, The Lounge Barbershop Salon & Spa, Salon Virago, Grateful Head Salon, and Shear Perfection Salon.
The paper vouchers will have the salon name, the stylist name and the phone number for families to call to make the appointment.
Superintendent Matthew Cooper said the district tries to meet as many student needs as possible.
“It is not uncommon for our schools to not only provide a high quality education to students but to also ensure that they have eye glasses, shoes, clothes, and that their prescriptions are filled,” Cooper said. “Ensuring that students have a haircut seems to fall in line with all of the other services that schools provide to students in today’s world. We certainly have needy students who cannot afford to have a professional haircut. Thanks to Ms. Casey, nearly 200 of our students can now have such a service.”
Cooper emphasized relying on the importance of community support.
“The school system is more than happy to serve our community and to ensure the physical and mental well-being of our students,” Cooper said in a statement to The Northeast Georgian. “The school system, however, cannot accomplish these things alone. We have many community partners who generously donate their time and money to make it happen.”
Casey hopes the vouchers will be able to give students a sense of confidence.
“I know a lot of families are struggling and ever since Corona (COVID), families are struggling,” Casey said. “The struggle is real and going to public school…you have peer pressure in trying to present yourself, it makes them feel better. There is such a weight on our kids today to prove something by the way they dress, the way they look, and we are just trying to help them feel good about themselves. They can go to school and not have to worry.”
This is the first year that Casey collected haircut vouchers and hopes to be able to continue the initiative for next year.
“We are here, we are put in this world to be the Lord’s hands and feet,” Casey said. “It is about giving this community love and accepting everybody in it, showing more love than judgment. It’s about spreading God’s love.”