GIVING BACK

GivingBACKivingBACK

An industry’s heart and passion

BY STEPHEN PUDDISTER

THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT: THE PEOPLE IN THIS INDUSTRY DON’T LIKE TO GIVE. THEY LOVE TO GIVE! ACTUALLY, I WOULD GO AS FAR AS SAYING THAT THE BEST WORD TO DESCRIBE THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY IS GIVING.

WHEN WE INTIALLY SAT DOWN TO BRAINSTORM THIS IDEA, OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE WAS CLEAR: WE WANTED TO FEATURE A VARIETY OF STORIES THAT WOULD INSPIRE AND RESONATE WITH THE READER. AFTER THE COUNTLESS PHONE CALLS, E-MAILS, FAXES, COURIERS AND EVEN AN AMBITIOUS VISITOR RUNNING TO MY OFFICE AT 5:45 PM WITH MATERIAL TO SHOW ME, I FOUND MYSELF IN AWE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH THIS INDUSTRY TRIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT’S BEEN AMAZING TO SAY THE LEAST. WHETHER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT OR FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OTHERS, THE LOCAL AND FAR-REACHING EFFORTS OF THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY ARE VISIONARY. WE GOT MORE STORIES THAN WE EVER COULD PUBLISH IN THIS ISSUE. WE HOPE YOU FIND INSPIRATION IN THE ONES WE BROUGHT YOU HERE.

The Extended Family

Bill Van Haeren, president of Uvalux Tanning, and his family adopted their youngest daughter Alisha from Guatemala in 1991. This was the beginning of a connection to a part of the world that today represents a commitment to giving back within the Uvalux family that is truly unique. In 1993 the Van Haeren family came across an organization devoted to building schools in remote areas of Guatemala and Honduras. Since then, Bill and several other volunteers have travelled there twice a year to work on various building projects.

Over the years, the volunteer network has grown and includes many skilled and unskilled workers from across Canada. This group of dedicated people formed Friends of the Orphans Canada (FOTO CAN) in 1999. In 2001 FOTO CAN began working with a Mexican-based organization called Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH). NPH houses over 5,000 orphaned or abandoned children in nine Latin American countries. The NPH Guatemala Orphanage was established in 1996 and a generous land donation in 1997 gave NHP Guatemala the opportunity to grow. However, the land remained vacant for a number of years due to the cost of constructing new facilities. In 2001, Friends of the Orphans Canada committed to the construction project and in April 2006 the project was completed.

To date, NPH Guatemala is home to over 400 children and volunteers. FOTO CAN has facilitated in the construction of four boarding houses, four school buildings, seven volunteer houses, a kitchen and dining hall, library, administration offices, medical clinic, and workshop where the older children can learn vocational skills. The medical clinic serves the needs of the NPH children and staff and the surrounding community.

A budget of $4.5 million was committed to this project. Fundraising golf tournaments are held about five times a year. Uvalux employees have embraced the venture as well—working together to help support the project. Companies like Uvalux and Australian Gold are committed to this work and now that NPH Guatemala is finished, they look forward to working in Bolivia in 2007. To learn more about FOTO CAN check out www.fotocan.org.

The Philanthropists

John Paul Mitchell Systems has a very strong culture of philanthropy. Recent donations totaling millions of dollars in cash, products and services have been made to non-profit organizations in the fields of health care, social services, environmental protection and awareness and others. A portion of the proceeds from the Tea Tree brand funds American Forests’ Global ReLeaf and Wildfire ReLeaf Program. This international non-profit organization strives to grow a healthier environment with trees to counter climate change and purify air and water. John Paul Mitchell Systems helps the organization plant over 10,000 trees every year to offset all carbon emissions from the brand’s manufacture and distribution.

The Builders

Brian Phillips, owner of World Salon in Toronto, has a dream. He, along with his fellow hairstylists and his clients, want to raise $80,000 dollars for Habitat for Humanity to build a house in Toronto for a family in need. Five per cent of the total sale of all World Products will go into the World House account in honour of their 16 years in business. To date they have raised $17,415 for the cause. Phillips says, “We are all very excited about this project. Having the signage on the wall and in the window prompts clients to talk about it and gives us the opportunity to ask for their support. Anyone can go online to www.torontohabitat.on.ca and choose donations and pick the World House project.”

The Holistic Thinkers

The Aveda holistic approach to doing business is evident in everything they produce. Aveda is committed to sourcing the highest quality ingredients available that go into every formulation they make. But in tandem with that, they also ensure that the people and communities who harvest the ingredients are rewarded and self-sustaining in their efforts. From soil to bottle, Aveda connects with its suppliers in remote corners of the globe from local and indigenous communities in Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Peru, South Africa and most recently Vanuatu, where Ray Civello, president of Collega for Aveda, travelled to trace the origin of Tamanu Oil. This oil is an ingredient of Aveda’s Damage Remedy line that is high in antioxidants and used locally for first aid purposes. “We’ve drawn a line in the soil, so to speak, by creating a soil to bottle traceability system that allows us to follow, and document, the lifeline of our ingredients,” says Civello. “These collaborations foster hope, create sustainable business partnerships and they benefit the local community, the salon professional and the Aveda consumer.”

The Project Leaders

Since its inception, Vancouver area’s The Megahair Family has nurtured a strong belief in “giving back”—not only to the community in which they live and work, but also to the environment. The “MegaBuck” recycling program was introduced in 1997 and came about due to guests and company concerns regarding the amount of packaging in the beauty industry that was being discarded on a regular basis. For the past nine years The Megahair Family has been encouraging guests to bring back their empty grooming-related containers regardless of where they were purchased. They accept all containers from their own locations, a competing salon, drugstore or grocery and recycle them through the proper means. Guests are rewarded for being environmentally conscious with a MegaBuck coupon useable towards the purchase of new salon products. This past year, The Megahair Family recycled 57,000 containers, weighing approximately 10 thousand pounds and since the start of this program, they have recycled close to half-a-million containers, which translates to approximately 70,000 pounds of plastic and glass. “This program, although costly, is important as it helps to save the environment, allows us all to breathe a little easier and spread The Megahair Family philosophy of business from the heart,” says Mark Banicevic, president.

The Warm Touch

Exhale Spa & Salon, in Bradford Ont., is recognized for its commitment to health, wellness and exemplary customer experience. Exhale became involved with the Coats for Kids Campaign in October 2003. Patricia Ristich, the owner of Exhale, read about the charity in the community’s local paper. She was particularly interested since it was a local charity and contacted them to see how she could contribute. For the past three years, Exhale has collected hundreds of coats, hats and mittens for adults and kids in the Bradford area. In return for the community’s generosity, each contributor receives a 15 per cent discount towards Spa services.

“In December 2004 we welcomed a young mother and her child one night that were in need of some warm clothing,” says Ristich. “The Coats for Kids Depot was closed and they had heard we were accepting donations so they decided to drop by. We were thrilled to be able to provide them with the necessary winter attire, on the spot. It just drove home the whole reason why we do it.”

The Spiritual Soul

Once a year, for the past three years, Valerie Smith, a stylist at Strand’s Hair Team in Edmonton, embarks upon a 38-hour bus ride to Mexico with the Amigo Relief Program. Organized through her church, the program focuses on an orphanage and women’s shelter. Over the past few years she and her group have erected new buildings, provided clothing and personal care packages to the people they visit.

“It was obvious that I could assist with the physical labour of building a new dining hall, which I took great pride in,” says Smith. “However, I really wanted to use my skills in the beauty industry to provide the women and children with self-confidence and the simple ability to feel good about themselves.

“My goal is to give the women in the shelter a clean polished look that will assist them in getting out of the shelter and on their own,” she adds. “This year, we will also teach them some of the skills of hairdressing and possibly point them in the direction of one day becoming stylists themselves.”

Smith adds, “The orphanage is full of children who are so excited to have some personal attention, which we know all children crave. These children have so little yet are so full of life. The biggest thrill for me is to see the smiles on their little faces as they wait so patiently for nothing more than a simple haircut.”

This is a spiritual vacation for Smith. “It takes me away from all of the distractions of life: phones, computers, day-to-day living. It grounds me, takes me back to the basics. It’s about the people and the simple needs of these people that keep me going back year after year.”

The Event Planner

Steve Roy, owner of Oz Hair Salon in Yorkville says, “When I took a course nine years ago on personal development, our homework at the end of the course was to create an event that involved a community and would have a specific measurable end result.” Roy had lost a few friends to AIDS-related diseases and was automatically drawn to helping with the fight against HIV and AIDS.

“As a business person, I feel that I have a special responsibility to give back to the community, particularly when it comes to our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” adds Roy. He chose to help The Teresa Group, an organization providing assistance and support to HIV/AIDS-affected children. He started The Mane Event—a six-hour haircutting and beauty event, including silent auctions, that donates 100 per cent of funds raised to The Teresa Group. The Mane Event is a labour of love for Roy and all the other salons and local businesses who help make the event a success.

“We started out with three salons participating and are now up to 10. As we approach our ninth year, we have raised approximately $150,000,” says Roy. The clients who come in on the day of the event get a great cut and they know they are giving to a great cause. “I remember one year, I had apologized to the executive director of The Teresa Group, that I felt bad we had raised only $14,000 when our average was $18-20,000. She kindly reminded me that a mere five dollars could put a pair of mittens and a hat on a child who was cold. I got it. When it comes to charity no amount is too small.” Roy and his supporters, including Schwarzkopf Professional, are always looking for more salons and stylists to participate. They don’t have to be in Yorkville. As Roy says, “It’s a donation of six hours of your time on your day off that will brighten the future of HIV/AIDS-affected children.” The Mane Event takes place in October.

The Student Effort

Cuts for Cancer was born in March 2002 at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. Every year the university calls upon stylists and salons to participate in their event, and on March 15 this year, seven salons in the Kingston area donated their time to the cause. They were: All Hair Alternative, Diva Salon, Envy Hair Studio, First Choice Hair Cutters, Maison Paul, Pierre Amelotte International and Signatures Salon. “It’s amazing how much we can do when we all come together and work as a team in an event like this,” says Kelly Hallett, co-owner of Envy Hair Studio. “To see so many in the beauty industry supporting the community like this is heartwarming. Many other salons donated products for the silent auction if they couldn’t make it out to the event,” she adds. This year they raised over $34,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. A total of 156 people participated and 101 of them donated a minimum of 10 inches of hair, 66 shaved their heads and 15 donated 10 inches and shaved their heads. This program has since spread to the Universities of Toronto and British Columbia.

The Loving Friend

Trish Molloy, owner of the Headroom Salon and Spa in St. John’s Newfoundland, lost a good friend and fellow hairstylist to AIDS over 14 years ago. To commemorate the memory of her friend, she created a photo-based competition open to hairstylists from all over Newfoundland and Labrador and in support of an AIDS-related charity. an AIDS-related charity. “The Bob Day Memorial Award is much-coveted and has grown in popularity over the years with stylists all over the province. The competition provides a way for the entire industry, not just our salon, to support a great cause,” says Molloy. “The award is presented every year at the O’Regan Agencies show in September—judging is done by the platform artists performing at the show.” Kevin O’Regan says, “Trish did not want recognition for this competition initially. She just wanted to honour the memory of a dear friend who always did great work, but never wanted the limelight himself.” To date, Molloy estimates that the annual competition has raised over $10, 000 for the Newfoundland and Labrador AIDS Foundation. S