Rochester salon gives out free haircuts

Fresh cuts for the new year

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(ABC 6 News) — As parents and kids prepare for the new school year, they are thinking about all the things that need to get done.

While a new haircut might not make the top of the list, a small apartment in Rochester is hoping to make that step a little easier.

At the Gage East Apartments, some residents are getting fresh cuts from professional stylists for free.

The apartments cater to young people and families struggling with chronic homelessness. Residents go through a lengthy process to get admitted, but the services provided are often vital for their survival and success.

“A lot of the times when we get the residents in here, they have been turned away and told that they cannot be helped,” said Heater Ellinghuysen, the Site Director at Gage East. “We want to give people that need those opportunities, those opportunities to succeed.”

This service is about a little more than that. It’s about giving people an opportunity to feel good about themselves.

“It’s a really cool thing to be able to just change someone’s mood for the day or just give them that little refresh to just give a little bit of optimism,” said Jenna Smith, an Advanced Practice Aesthetician/Cosmetologist at the West End Salon.

This won’t be the only time that people get the chance to have a free trim. The West End stylists are planning another round of services later this year.