Finally – a ray of sunshine for storm-ravaged Gulf Coast salon professionals!  In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the salon community pulled together to help its sisters and brothers in the South with fantastic results, and desperately needed financial aid is making its way into the hands of displaced hairdressers.

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With checks in hand, Sam Brocato, Gordon Miller and Mike Renzulli (representing Beauty Associations for Katrina Relief and the NCA Disaster Relief Fund) met with Gulf Coast hurricane survivors last week.  Each survivor received a $500 check in this first round of distributions, and among those helped were BTC members Michelle Hughes of Metairie, LA, and Dallas Alleman, of New Orleans.  Both had reached out to behindthechair.com when they lost their salons and belongings in the Hurricane.

“Having spent all but five days since Katrina here in Baton Rouge I can attest to the heart-wrenching devastation that has taken place in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This past Tuesday I had the opportunity, along with Gordon Miller of NCA and Mike Renzulli of Sally to give emergency cash from our Fund to 12 evacuees of salons in the New Orleans market. We were able to experience how much this kind of giving means. Tears and smiles were everywhere. The support of those individuals and companies who have donated this week alone is a great example to others on how to join together and help those in need,” said Sam Brocato.

Seeing the devastation first hand and being able to help in person clearly touched the committee members.  Following his visit to Baton Rouge, Mike Renzulli committed Sally Beauty to an additional $50,000 donation to the NCA Disaster Relief Fund/Katrina. Sally Beauty has already sent African-American-specific products to the rescue shelters and assured its employees that their salaries will continue, and Renzulli joined the Oversight Committee to raise and distribute funds.

 “Our trip to Baton Rouge was very gratifying because we were able to give the hair stylist, our customer, the money to buy the tools of their profession. For the Katrina victims, who have lost so much, being able to acquire professional tools gives them the means to start earning a living and putting their lives back together,” he said.

As of Sept. 23, the NCA Disaster Relief Fund had accepted more than $152,000.00 in donations from the industry, over $20,000.00 of which came from behindthechair.com members!  Beauty Associations for Katrina Relief are also working diligently to ensure that salon professionals displaced by Katrina are able to get license reciprocity in other states – they have drafted a letter to all the State Boards, and are making contact with state and national legislators.  The Associations estimate that more than $30 million a week is being lost to our industry due to Katrina, further devastating everyone from salons to distributors to manufacturers.

Thanks to all those behindthechair.com members who’ve contributed so far!  With your help, salon professionals in the South are getting the supplies, necessities and confidence they need to rebuild their lives.  If you’d like to contribute to the NCA Disaster Relief Fund, please click here.  If you are a salon professional in need due to the hurricane, please fill out this application, so that the NCA may most efficiently help you.