400 students get free haircuts for school

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About 400 children got free back-to-school haircuts and hairdos for the first day back to school at Sunday’s seventh annual Back-to-School Giveaway event at Reid Street Community Center.

Eighteen barbers and hair specialists volunteered their time for the event with Wilson Community Outreach to offer kids free haircuts, book bags, school supplies, clothing items, hot dogs and shaved ice before Monday’s first day of class for Wilson County Schools.

“I think it is wonderful. I think it is beautiful, perfect. Love it,” said Jacqueline Pitt, who took her nephew. “I think it helps the children out and it helps the parents out.”

Pitt said it is “a morale booster” for kids starting back to school.

“If you have a good footing to start the year, it keeps going throughout the year,” Pitt said. “The momentum will keep going.”

Gabriel Zachary Elliott, 16, a ninth grader who will be attending Fike High School, said, “It makes you feed good and you look good.”

“I love it,” said Towanda Pitt, Gabriel’s mother.

“If you look good, you feel good, you’ll do good,” she said. “I was going to do something with his hair, but he doesn’t like to stay still, so I had to give it up.”

Kandra Barnes called it a beautiful event.

“I love to see all of our community come together and give back to the community,” Barnes said. “I actually grew up around the corner. I have been coming here ever since I was a little girl. We have always been a good supporter when it comes down to Reid Street, so I just think this is a beautiful event for our community.”

Johnnie E. Chestnut, president and CEO of Wilson Community Outreach, said that by giving kids a new haircut, it might help them from being bullied.

“Many kids don’t have nice clothes, nice shoes or nice haircut to wear,” Chestnut said. “Most of the time they get picked on like I did as a kid.”

Shanquilla Joyner of Spring Hope took her three children, Nylah Jones, Makiyah Jones and Tre’sean Jones.

“I think is great, especially for all of us single moms out here that don’t have help,” Joyner said. “I think it is a great idea for these kids to come out here to be able to get a free haircut and a free hairdo, so I really love it. Thanks you so much because we need it. They are going to be looking good. It is really wonderful. These kids are going to be looking nice.”

Barber James Tyson, who has been an organizer of the event for many years, said it is great to see the smiles on the children’s faces.

“Every year it gets bigger,” Tyson said. “I did so much to take from the streets of Wilson, now it is time to give back to the streets. There are a couple of my friends out here, and we have all been to prison. We went from doing prison beard, to helping kids. It is as simple as that. I just love doing this.”

Participating businesses included A Cut Above Barber College, DY Salon, DiFrent Level, Hayes Barbershop,  A&T Designs, Fat Boii Wingz, Signature Art Bar Studio and Kee Design Nails. The Trucking Chef served hot dogs and  D’licious Icy’s served shaved ice.

“With the way the economy is, anything we can do to help the families we are here for,” Tyson said. “For some of these kids, this may be the only time they get a good haircut. My barber buddies and the females who come out here to braid, we all do it from the heart. No money. No nothing. We just give out time and our blessings. To me, with the way bullying is at an all time high, this is one of those things that they can get bullied about. When they have a nice haircut and a nice bookbag, you are starting off right on the first day of school.”

To kick off the event, the Wilson Police Department spoke to the attendees about bullying.

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