Swampscott business helps people of Ukraine one haircut at a time
A Swampscott hair salon is offering free haircuts to its Ukrainian clients and encouraging other clients to donate their money to help Ukrainian relief organizations.
Lisa Spinale and her husband Dan are the owners of Spinale & Company Hair Design. With 30 years of hair care experience, the couple put their passion and skills into practice in 1978, when they opened their first salon.
Because of the war in Ukraine, the members of the salon have decided to offer free haircuts for their Ukrainian clients and friends. In exchange for the free haircuts, the salon is encouraging people to put the money towards helping people in Ukraine.
The origin of this idea came to hairdresser Jenna Casaletto when she was cutting the hair of her client and friend, Karolina Sadova.
Sadova and her family are originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, and two of her children were born there before moving to the United States about 10 years ago. They have been loyal customers to the salon for the past nine years..
Sadova explained to Casaletto her worries and sadness for her family still in Ukraine. Casaletto decided that it wasn’t right to receive money from her during this hardship. So, she went to the Spinales, explained her concern, and received nothing but support in her decision to not allow Sadova to pay. So much so, that the salon decided to make it an offering to all of their Ukrainian clients and friends.
“We just want to help any way we can,” said Lisa Spinale.
The way the fundraiser works is the clients get their hair cut, but instead of paying the salon, they donate the money to relief organizations or send goods to their friends and family in Ukraine on their own time.
Sadova and other Ukrainian members of the community are grateful for the salon’s support and motivation to help.
“It is such a good example for businesses,” said Sadova, “how you can actually make a change, how you can participate in the action, and there are lots and lots of ways that businesses can do that.”
Sadova and some of her Ukrainian community members have joined together to move beyond this in helping those overseas in Ukraine. She has led fundraisers through connecting to communities in Ukraine and finding out what they need for supplies, clothes and food. They then try to seek donations to collect these items to send over.
Sadova created a fundraiser on Facebook where she seeks donations that go towards purchasing emergency trauma kits. Each kit costs $130, and she is hoping to get 200 kits bought and sent to those in need. The trauma kits are for treating severe wounds and controlling bleeding.
Fundraisers like Sadova’s have been places for these Ukrainian clients to put their money or supplies towards after receiving their haircuts.
The salon has given nearly a dozen free haircuts thus far, and members are hoping to give more to help their Ukrainian community and further help support the people suffering overseas.
“We hope to inspire other small businesses to help and show their support for our Ukrainian friends during this difficult time,” said Spinale.
There is no definitive end date for this offering. The salon will keep it going at least until the conflict in Ukraine is over.
Spinale & Company Hair Design is located at 444 Humphrey Street in Swampscott. For information, call 781-598-5400.
