COVID Can’t Deter NJ Salon Owner Who Knows the Beauty of Volunteering

Michele Lawson has never been the kind of person to allow her hands to remain idle. Usually, her hands are busy providing hairstyling services to the many loyal customers from throughout the area at her busy Red Bank salon, Hair & Company. When she’s not serving those clients, she’s personally providing free services to cancer patients through the nonprofit Wig Warriors Foundation that she established. And when she’s not doing that, she and her dedicated staff are hosting private appointments on their days off for the homeless families and individuals with special needs who are served by HABcore.

And then the coronavirus hit.

At first, the salon was able to make adjustments by spacing out clients and taking extra sanitizing measures as business dwindled. But when New Jersey ultimately shut down, Michele was forced to shut down the salon, too. And because of the precautions against COVID, she also could not offer the hands-on assistance that she’s been giving to cancer survivors and the homeless.

In a message to her customers on March 19, she sadly said, “Well, I never thought I’d see the day that I was locking this door, not knowing when we would be open again. I’ve worked here since I was 22 years old in 1989 and I bought it only four years ago. I have never been out of work or not known where my next paycheck was coming from. These are scary times, for sure. I just want to thank our staff and our clients for hanging tough these last few weeks and thank you all for the countless phone calls, well wishes, and acts of kindness. I pray we are back where we belong before you know it! I hope you all stay safe and healthy. If you need anything or I can be of any help, please call and leave a voice message or message us on messenger. We will get back to you right away! Sending much love and peace to you and your families.”

True to her word, it wasn’t long before Michele found a way to help. On April 28 – just two days before the passing of her beloved uncle, the mayor of Union Beach who shepherded that community through Superstorm Sandy – she sent out an online message to everyone she knew, announcing a collection she was organizing to assist Lunch Break, which provides meals, groceries, pantry supplies, clothing, and other services for those in need all year long. “If anyone would like to donate food or money, no donation is too big or too small,” she said. “It just breaks my heart to think of someone struggling to feed their children or an elderly person not being able to get out for the basic necessities. Please help if you can and let’s do this!” Donations could be dropped off at the salon or, for those who couldn’t, she even offered to come to their location and pick up their donations. The most-requested items included gloves, masks, canned tuna, rice, beans, oatmeal, canned vegetables, packaged bread, toiletries, baby items such as diapers, wipes, and baby food, and feminine hygiene products. Monetary donations would go a long way, too, with $25 providing six hot meals, $40 providing 10 hot meals, or $50 buying a bag full of groceries.

The network of customers, neighbors, friends, and family members responded immediately to enthusiastically lend support, joining forces to collect, pick up, and deliver sorely needed food and personal care items. In just two days, Michele gave thanks to the first donors who stepped up, giving a special shout out to one of them. “Taylor Cirigliano is a local high school senior who generously was the first person to message me about making a donation. It is so kind of her to think of others at this time, when her senior year and senior prom, etc. were so affected by the COVID-19 virus.” Within two weeks, Michele and her staff had collected more than 60 bags of groceries and about $300 in monetary donations. They loaded up their cars and, together, delivered the precious cargo to the grateful folks at Lunch Break. Michele was humbled and delighted, saying, “Great job, everyone – from our staff to our clients and neighbors who all helped out! You guys are the best!”

Michele has also sent out messages to those she assists with her Wig Warriors services for cancer survivors, urging them to email, call, or message if they need her help. “I am still available for phone consults and will do whatever I can do to help, despite all of the obvious restrictions. We can still do a consultation via phone or video messenger and I am working on a sponsorship program for those who are in need of a wig but cannot afford one at this time.” Monetary donations to Wig Warriors can be made through PayPal and Venmo, and wig donations are also needed. All funds go to help purchase wigs, head coverings, wig stands, and cosmetics needed to help cancer patients deal with the awful cosmetic side effects of cancer treatment. Those items are all provided at no cost. Patients receive a personal and compassionate consultation to better prepare them for their pending hair loss and then a plan of action is set up that may include hair cutting or shaving, finding and fitting the perfect wig, teaching proper wig care, and providing cutting, coloring, washing, or styling wigs for them.  Michele also helps patients deal with their hair as it grows back in. All of these services are offered completely free of charge, and given in a private, warm, and welcoming atmosphere by someone who is not only a skilled stylist, but also has personal experience, as both a volunteer and a family member, in caring for those with cancer.

As of mid-May, Michele and her employees – and her clients – were anxiously awaiting word on when hair salons would be allowed to reopen. In the interim, they’ve been finding ways to stay busy with that, too, by offering gift certificates that could be purchased over the phone or by email for a future appointment and picked up curbside. They also began offering hair coloring kits for their existing clients, mixed with their personal color, and available for curbside pickup with a video to guide them through how to apply it at home. The salon staff has also been undergoing a Barbicide Certification Course, which is a program designed for anyone in the professional beauty industry who believes that infection control is one of the most important steps in a salon, spa, or barbershop. By completing this course and becoming Barbicide Certified, salon workers demonstrate to coworker and customers the importance of delivering safe service in a healthy environment. Precautionary measures – which Michele and her staff were already doing – include soaking all tools and combs in Barbicide, wiping every chair with anti-bacterial wipes, and cleaning all equipment and surfaces between each client.

To contact Michele Lawson at Hair & Company, call 732-747-6983 or email hairandcompanyrb@gmail.com.

To contact Lunch Break, call 732-385-3971 or email info@lunchbreak.org.

To contact Michele about Wig Warriors, call 732-747-6983 or 732-673-7097.