ST. LANDRY PARISH — OPELOUSAS, La. — For some families, getting children ready for a new school year can come with a hefty price tag.
In Opelousas, volunteers helped take some of that burden off parents Sunday by providing free hairstyles and haircuts to local children.
The fourth annual Back-to-School Free Hair Event turned the Indian Hills Country Club into a temporary salon and barbershop, where girls received braids and other styles while boys received haircuts.
The event also included back-to-school supplies, food and bingo.
Organizer Ashley Hayes said the event is designed to help children feel confident as they return to the classroom.
“Creating smiles one style at a time,” Hayes said. “It just helps them feel good when they go back to school so they can feel good about themselves and their appearance.”
For parents, the free services can also mean significant savings.
Kristen Roberts brought her daughter, Brooklyn, to the event to have her hair braided. Roberts said a hairstyle like the one her daughter received could have cost about $200.
“This would cost me easily $200 just for her,” Roberts said. “Just for her — I have two.”
Roberts said the event gives families an opportunity to come together while easing some of the financial pressure that comes with preparing for a new school year.
“The price of things these days is already at an all-time high,” Roberts said. “So this is just a nice moment just to sit back, enjoy, talk to nice people, meet new people and let the kids just be kids right before school starts.”
Among the volunteers was retired hairstylist Unique Elliott, who said she has a personal connection to the event.
Elliott said she was bullied as a child because her family could not always afford to maintain her hair.
“I used to be bullied when I was younger due to the fact that my mom was on a fixed income,” Elliott said. “She couldn’t, you know, keep my hair up.”
Elliott said she now volunteers to help children start the school year feeling confident.
“This is the only time I do hair, the beginning of the school year for the kids, to make sure that they feel confident,” Elliott said.
St. Landry Parish Government also helped support the event by sponsoring the use of the Indian Hills Country Club.
CiCi Savoy with St. Landry Parish Government said the event provides an important service to local families.
“It was something that was good for the community, good for the kids, and a lot of these parents can’t really afford to get their kids’ hair done for the school year,” Savoy said.
Hayes said the event has grown since it began four years ago, with volunteers continuing to come back each year to donate their time and skills.
This year, 96 girls and boys received free hair services at the event.
For the children leaving the event with fresh hairstyles and haircuts, organizers say the goal goes beyond simply looking ready for the first day of school — it's about helping them feel ready, too.
