MISSY’S INK ADDS LASER HAIR REMOVAL AND ELECTROLYSIS TO TOP TIER SERVICE OFFERINGS

Staf Report

in children’s services, I am acutely aware of the needs of foster children and the kids who are going through very traumatic experiences, … and the program bloomed from there,” explained Jewesak.

Thursday’s delivery was the largest in the program’s history and will make an immediate impact for Hillsborough youth who need it most. In total, Dufels of Dignity will have donated an estimated 900 duffels, backpacks and suitcases packed with much-needed items such as toothbrushes, combs, shampoo, deodorant and more.

In addition to the Children’s Home Network, organizations that have received donated goods through the Dufels of Dignity program include Metropolitan Ministries, ECHO (Emergency Care Help Organization) of Brandon and The Spring of Tampa Bay, which helps women and their children escape domestic violence.

The program is ongoing, and donations can be dropped of Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Hillsborough County Children’s Services Administrative Ofce, located at 3191 Clay Mangum Ln. in Tampa. Dufels of Dignity also has an Amazon Wish List. Items purchased from this list will be delivered directly to the Children’s Services campus. More information and a link to the wish list is available at www.hcflgov.net/ dufelsofdignity.

Missy’s Ink is now ‘Missy’s Ink & Laser’ after adding laser hair removal and electrolysis to its lineup of services for women in the Valrico area, allowing customers to add hair where they want and remove hair where they do not.

“I am thrilled to be able to ofer laser hair removal and electrolysis to my clients,” said owner Missy Duncan. “These services are in high demand, and I am excited to be able to provide them in a safe and comfortable environment.”

Duncan completed her International Board of Electrologist Certification Exam on April 12. In addition to her new certifications, Duncan purchased a Soprano ICE laser hair removal machine. The machine provides virtually painless hair removal because the tip of the laser is -3 degrees Celsius.

Missy’s Ink & Laser is also one of few studios in the area to ofer electrolysis, a hair removal service for women with lighter-colored hair.

“I’ll be one of the few people in this area who do electrolysis. It’s kind of a dying field but it is still needed,” explained Duncan.

Duncan’s certification was a huge accomplishment for her at 50 years old. Af-

By Lily Belcher

ter an over 30-hour laser and light-based hair removal course by the Florida Electrolysis Council, Duncan had to go to Orlando to take the exam.

“I’ve always not been a good test taker, so I was scared to death,” admitted Duncan. “But I had something to prove to myself pretty much.

… It’s a huge accomplishment for sure.”

Duncan started Missy’s Ink in 2017 after being a photographer for 20 years. Looking for a change, a door opened for her to start her career in permanent makeup. “God just lays it all out for you. When one door opens and another one closes, you kind of just run through it,” said Duncan.

Missy’s Ink ofers permanent makeup, including areola pigmentation for breast cancer patients, in addition to hair removal services.

“I always try to treat my clients the way I would like to be treated as a client,” said Duncan. “And making women feel comfortable.”

For more information on Missy’s Ink, visit Duncan’s website at missysink.com or call 813-659-0648. Missy’s Ink is located in Crest Pointe Towne Center at 3117 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Valrico.

Fun Online Summer Reading Programs

One of the best and simplest ways to prevent your child’s reading proficiency levels from declining this summer is to establish a daily reading habit. And with the relaxed pace of summer, your child might be happy to hear that he or she is free to choose whatever books sound the most interesting — a welcome change from the school year, which is undoubtedly busy with required school reading.

Want to give your child a nudge in the right direction? Why not enroll him or her in a summer reading program? Summer reading programs ofer a fun way for children to keep track of their reading and rewards for completing reading milestones. While your local library or bookstore may have a reading program, there are also a number of excellent online options as well — and even better, all are free.

Here are just a few online summer reading programs for you to explore:

Scholastic’s Summer Reading

Home Base

From now through Thursday, September 7, kids can visit the summer zone in Scholastic Home Base, a completely free digital destination which ofers stories, characters, games and a community of readers. Home Base is moderated for safety 24/7.

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading

Barnes & Noble provides a reading journal in which your child records the books he or she reads and a little about the book. After finishing eight books, a child can bring the printable reading journal into a Barnes & Noble and redeem it for a free

By Dr. Raymond J. Huntington

book between Saturday, July 1 and Thursday, August 31. Visit www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading and look for the 100 Books of summer for Kids section.

Camp BOOK IT!

The Camp BOOK IT! program is open to all families with PreK-6th grade students (ages 4-12). Parents set goals, track reading and reward their students, all in a digital dashboard. The program dates are June through August. Visit www.bookitprogram.com/programs/camp-book-it.

Half Price Summer Reading Camp

Half Price Books Summer Reading Camp, where online campers, and their trusty guardians, can get their fill of fun reads and activities to keep busy during lazy days of summer, including reading lists by age. The camp runs from now through July 31. Visit https://b. halfpricebooks. com/summer-reading/. A summer reading program is a great way to incentivize your child to stick with reading all summer long. These programs all strive to make reading enjoyable, reward progress and encourage children to commit to reading as a hobby of choice. The summer is upon us — get started now, and help your child start of on the right foot for a funfilled summer of learning and exploration.

Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certifed tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confdence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington’s mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www. huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com.