Maryland organizers to provide free haircuts for the youth
150 Free Cuts / Fresh Start Back -to-School
MARYLAND – Haircuts can be expensive, especially if you have multiple children. Many residents are finding ways to give back to their communities by helping kids to get fresh for school. Whether it be Wicomico County or the West side of Salisbury, community members are changing children’s lives, one haircut at a time.
Waves on the West Side
Keonte Bratten is a local Salisbury resident who gives back to his community on a regular. Most recently, he organized the Westside Salisbury Block Party where he provided free food, activities, and fireworks to over 500 citizens. He said once he saw the Block Party was a success, he knew the next thing he would try to do was arrange free haircuts for 150 kids in the community. “I think it takes a lot of pressure off the parents, a lot of the single moms, and then, like I said in my last interview, I love my West Side.”
He chose Perry and Gates Barshop, which has been a staple in the community for over 20 years. Richard Dickerson has been a barber there for the past 4 months but has been cutting since he was 14 years old. He says this is how you give back and inspire the youth. “Some kids can barely afford a haircut, so giving them a free haircut, it’s a blessing… They see another avenue where you can make some more money instead of being out on the street corners, or whatever. Or doing something illegal. But they see a different- and then we’re not just barbers too, they come in, they ask us questions.”
Dickerson says they usually charge between $20-25 for kids cuts, and prices have gone up, but in this economy, people shouldn’t pay too much for kids hair. “A mother with 3 kids, they $40 a piece, that’s absurd. That’s $120 just for some haircuts, and the hair is going to be back on their head in 2 weeks. You know, so I think it’s a little steep.”
Not all surrounding barbers feel that way. Corey Ellis, known as Buff the Barber, has also been cutting hair since he was 14. He owns and operates 3 shops within the area and his shop in Salisbury is called Step Your Barber Up Barbershop. He’s received numerous awards and says that his clientele is willing to pay his prices despite inflation, and because of his resume, he doesn’t have any issues. “My kids cuts start at 40, teens 14-20 I charge $50 and up. Adult haircuts start at 65… You don’t go in Ruth’s Chris and complain about the prices… And that’s why I do appointments only and I charge $100 for walk-ins.”
It was that perspective, along with his prices, that had some on social media in an uproar. In the end, he settled on a price, not a cheap as the other surrounding barbers, but less than what he would usually charge. “I just said I’m not doing free haircuts- that’s pretty much what the status said, I’m not doing free haircuts this year. And I felt bad, and which I’m going to do my own event, when the time is right. It’s just the time is just awful for me and my barbers actually, you know what I mean. But, we did make an agreement that they will send 50 kids to my shop Sept 1st, and I said I will do it.”
Though the cuts are free for the kids, Bratten says despites some barbers trying to cut for free he is still compensating barbers for their time, and no matter what, it will get done. “I found ways and I put it together because at the end of the day like I said it’s all about giving back. You know what I’m saying, and anything I can do to help these kids, you know, that’s what I’m all about.”
Free Haircuts will place on Sunday September 1st at the Perry and Gates Barber shop in Salisbury. They will begin at 7 am, and will continue until 150 children have all gotten a fresh cut.
Fresh Start Back- to- School
Speaking of fresh cuts, the Wicomico County School district is having its annual Fresh Start Back – to- School event to help children out in the community before going back to school.
The event is to take place August 25th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Civic Center. It is in partnership with Wicomico County Parks Recreation and Tourism. The event will provide over 3,000 backpacks full of school supplies and essentials for all students free of charge, and they will also be providing family resources such as mental health facilities, parent education classes, vision and dental care, or housing assistance.
Wicomico County’s supervisor of family, community, and school programs Tara O’Barsky says this event is meant to supply kids what with they need, and hair styling can give them a fresh start for the new year. “We’ve got barbers and hairstylist coming in to do some shape ups some haircuts, just you know getting everybody looking fresh and ready to go for the new year… What we would love if there is a couple more barbers in the community or hairstylist in the community that may be willing to provide their services for this event, we could still use a couple more barbers and a couple more hairstylist for the haircuts, that was a really popular station last year.”
O’Barsky says any barbers or hairstylist who wish to be a part of giving back to the community feel free to email her at tobarsky@mywcps.org or call at (410)- 677-4420
