Community

February 1, 2023  by

Ellie’s Hats – Our February Community Outreach Partner

We just love the mission and community of Ellie’s Hats, a local non-profit that was started with the mission to brighten the day of children with cancer.
Ellie's Hats

Ellie’s Hats was founded as a 501 (c)(3) in 2014 after Ellie started kindergarten at the Woodburn Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. Ellie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in spring 2013. By the time she entered kindergarten she had lost most of her hair and was always wearing hats to school. Her teacher, Jay Coakley noticed her fun and cheerful looking hats and he organized a hat drive to provide her with a broader selection of hats to wear. Please check out their website for other ideas on how you can help in addition to donating and share this story to spread the word! We are honored to be donating $1 from every haircut this September to this amazing local non-profit!

Since 2014, Ellie’s Hats has donated over $400,000 to families and local clinics. That’s just incredible!

This February, we are donating $1 from every haircut we do at Salon Khouri to this amazing and dedicated local non-profit.

 

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January 1, 2023  by

Freezing Again for a Reason

– Jennifer Elkhouri

For years, I’ve seen coverage of what I consider complete nut jobs jumping into FREEZING cold water in the dead of winter. I have always thought, “Why would anyone ever do that?” Then, I heard about the Virginia Polar Dip … and how it can help children battling cancer. Sold. I will do just about anything for these children. They endure treatments that are outdated due to lack of funding — in fact, only 4% of the National Cancer Institute’s research dollars are allocated to childhood cancer research. So, I figured the least I can do is jump into some ice cold water, scream as I am doing so, and maybe cry a little afterward, but most importantly, raise money and awareness.

Well, we’ve been jumping in this exhilarating event since 2015 and when I say exhilarating, that’s the kindest way I can put what that cold water feels like in February! And we have a few of our team members jumping this year: Olivia, Matthew, Madalyn, a Salon Khouri client and friend, Charleen, her very courageous 9 year old, my very courageous 11 year old, and myself.

Please help our by either making a donation (no donation is too small) OR signing up to PLUNGE with us on the Salon Khouri team! Our goal is to raise $5,000 as a team through donations and through the salon donating $1 for every haircut we did in January toward Camp Sunshine. All funds raised will help send children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to Camp Sunshine.

2015 Polar Dip Cutting the Ice

Gotta cut through the ice first … 2015

 

2015 Polar Dip Jump

2015 Polar Dip Jump

 

2016 Polar Dip Jump

 

2016 Polar Dip Team

 

Our 2017 team

 

Our son who jumped on my behalf in 2018 because I had the flu.

 

2020 Post Jump – adrenaline was keeping us warm … for about 2 minutes.

 

 

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December 13, 2022  by

In Memory of Mathias Giordano

Each month, Salon Khouri donates $1 from every haircut to a local non-profit. We are dedicating our December haircuts to Mathias Giordano and will be donating $1 from every haircut in December to Team Mathias, the non-profit founded in Mathias’ name.

The mission of Team Mathias is guided by what was important to Mathias during his battle with cancer. He was determined to make a positive impact in the lives of kids diagnosed. In a general sense, this meant calling attention to the facts about pediatric cancer. Childhood cancer research is consistently underfunded and for many cancers, treatments are severely out-dated and awareness leads to funding, and ultimately to research and better treatment options. On a daily and personal level, Mathias’s heart went out to kids in the same situation. He identified where he could help and his ideas shaped the work we do today.

Below is a post made by Mathias’ mom on 12/12/2022, the 8th anniversary of Mathias’ passing.

“8 years ago today, I kissed your forehead for the very last time. 8 years of missing you, 8 years of what if’s, 8 years of paying it forward in your loving memory to keep your legacy alive.
You may be gone but you are not forgotten.
@everyone today hug your kids a bit tighter & let them know how much they are loved and appreciated.
Also if possible please do something special to bring a smile to someone’s face. ❤️🎗️🙏
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November 1, 2022  by

Our November Community Outreach Partner: Boulder Crest Foundation

Boulder Crest Foundation

A suicide epidemic claims the lives of 20 service members and veterans every day, and more first responders die by suicide than in the line of fire. Millions of other combat veterans and first responders live lives filled with despair, battling PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The current mental health system, with its reliance on a one-size-fits-all approach of pharmaceuticals and talk therapy, has failed to address the nature and scale of this challenge.

Enter in our November Community Outreach partner, Boulder Crest Foundation, a leader in the field of posttraumatic growth for veterans and first responders, as our November Community Outreach partner. The mission of Boulder Crest Foundation is to facilitate Posttraumatic Growth through transformative programs, world-class training and education initiatives, along with research and advocacy efforts to help combat veterans, first responders and their families overcome trauma.

The organization was founded in 2011 and opened its first center in 2013. It is led by founder and chairman, a 21-year combat veteran Ken Falke, retired Master Chief Petty Officer from the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) community. Ken is world-renowned as a forward-thinking, creative leader in the field of wounded warrior care, military and veteran transition, counterterrorism, military training, and innovative technology development. 

Boulder Crest Foundations programs support warriors, couples and caregivers, and families by providing rest and reconnection. One of their programs, Warrior PATHH, is a transformative, lifelong, Posttraumatic Growth-based training program for combat veterans and first responders. The training begins with a 7-day on-site initiation that is followed by 18 months of training delivered by our instructors through their myPATHH platform. 

We are honored to once again be supporting Boulder Crest Foundation this November and are donating $1 from every haircut we do this month to this wonderful local, non-profit. In addition to your support through your visits to Salon Khouri, you might also consider visiting the Boulder Crest website to become more familiar with this amazing, local non-profit. 

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October 1, 2022  by

Mosiac: Providing free, compassionate medical care since 1994

At Mosaic, their mission is to educate and empower those facing pregnancy decisions. They do this by providing compassionate and professional medical care. Mosiac provides a range of free, confidential pregnancy services. Through community support, all services are offered at no cost.

At Mosiac, their promise is simple: They will be a place where someone will listen; a place of acceptance and compassion; a place to ask questions and get honest answers; a place where relationships can result in something beautiful.

We are honored to partner with Mosiac as our October Community Outreach partner and will be donating $1 from every haircut.

 

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September 1, 2022  by

Alex’s Army Making an Impact – Our September Community Outreach Partner

As we #GoGold this September, we have selected Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation as our community outreach partner! We are honored to donate $1 from every haircut we perform this month to this impactful, local non-profit. Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation is a 501c3 whose mission is to raise awareness and funding for Childhood Cancer Research while providing Christian focused support to the Childhood Cancer Community.

Through the financial gifts of supporters, Alex’s Army has been able to contribute an astounding $440,000 over the last several years specifically to help fund the REST Immunotherapy Trial at Children’s National Hospital. AACF has remained fully committed to funding this particular trial as they share in the belief with many in the Pediatric Oncology World that Immunotherapies are the future of pediatric cancer treatments.

Be sure to check out the many amazing events that AACF has planned this September.

Alex’s Army Childhood Cancer Foundation was formed in honor of Alex Green, who was diagnosed with a Stage IV Wilms Tumor in 2009 at the young age of 5. To say Alex was a fighter is a bit of an understatement. Throughout his treatment, Alex endured 400 chemo/infusions/immunizations, 100 clinic visits, 15 ER visits, 200 inpatient admissions, 300 IV pokes, 34 total days of radiation, 32 times being put to sleep, 1 bone marrow aspirate, 100 scans (CT/Xray/PET/Echo/EKG) and 15 surgeries.

We wanted to share these words written by Jenni and Derek Green:

Over the years, our family had frequent discussions of faith, of hope – when all else seemed hopeless, of finding strength in God when we are too weak, of death, of heaven, of cancer, of fairness, of being different, of struggles in life, you name it – we talked about it. There are no words to describe how it feels as a parent to have to watch your child endure so much pain and heartache in their little innocent lives. The natural tendency as a parent is to want to fix everything, to shield and protect them from pain, danger, and heartache. Through all of this, one of the things we have learned time and time again is that we are not in control. The only comfort and joy we have been able to find, and finding this has been amazing, but it is in knowing that there IS a greater purpose for us all. While this life is nothing that I would have imagined or picked for us; we have seen so much goodness come out of this pain, we have seen firsthand how God works in His own perfect timing and ours eyes have been opened to the beautiful promises He has given to us. While we may not understand why our family has had to endure this trial, we find comfort in knowing there is a reason and that reason is for good and for a greater purpose. Our sweet Alex passed away at the age of 12 years old on June 5th, 2016 with his Mom & Dad holding his hands and by his side. Alex is the inspiration behind Alex’s Army and we are committed to helping find a cure for all Children battling Childhood Cancers.

With Faith, Hope, and Love Always,
Jenni & Derek Green

 

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August 1, 2022  by

Reset 180 changing lives in our own backyard

Vulnerable people are being trafficked in our own backyards. Reset180 (formerly Nova Human Trafficking Initiative) works to prevent, disrupt and restore in the area of human trafficking in Northern Virginia.

PREVENT: Reset180 works to educate communities on what exactly modern day slavery looks like. Since 2010, their speakers bureau volunteers have provided prevention awareness education to hundreds of thousands of community members. The Reset180 speakers bureau empowers and equips the community to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking.

DISRUPT: Outreach and disruption teams focus on reaching out to both victims of trafficking and those who purchase them and hold them in captivity. Through prayer, policy change, in person and over the phone interactions, volunteers fight to disrupt the cycle of trafficking.

RESTORE: Since 2015, Restore180 has provided trauma-informed case management that provides access to vital services survivors need to stabilize and eventually live independently. This includes emergency financial assistance, safety planning, providing basic needs, access to legal services, working with the court system, therapy, enrollment in vocational programs, and a lot more.

Through each area of prevention, disruption and restoration, prayer remains a vital part of their process.

WV’s sex trafficking began at age 14 in Northern Virginia. She was recovered by law enforcement and referred to Reset180. Her trafficker was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the crimes he committed against her. Reset180 is walking with her through her healing journey:

This August, we are donating $1 from every haircut we perform to this amazing, life-changing, local non-profit. Help us end this modern slavery epidemic.

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July 1, 2022  by

Windy Hill Foundation – Helping Our Neighbors

We are honored to once again partner with local non-profit, Windy Hill Foundation, located in Middleburg, Virginia. The foundation’s mission is to provide affordable, decent and safe housing for low and lower-income individuals, families, elders and adults with disabilities in both Loudoun and Fauquier Counties. The foundation provided 310 housing units in Loudoun and Fauquier in 2019 and supported no-cost onsite resident programs and services for those living in Windy Hill Foundation communities.

Recently, Windy Hill Foundation became the recipients of a generous gift: 32 acres of land just West of Middleburg! The family of recently deceased philanthropist and conservationist Magalen Bryant, long-time supporters of Windy Hill Foundation and its mission to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing, offered the foundation 32 acres of land. We know this gift will bless families for years to come and are so excited about this news.

On-site programs consist of after-school academic and social programs, an eight-week drop-in summer day camp, tutoring programs during the school year, family, personal enrichment, social and health programs for younger and older adult residents through committing $200,000 annually, alongside many generous organizational and individual donors and grantors from surrounding communities and the greater Washington DC area. The overarching goal of these programs is to help residents move from affordable to market rate housing.

Conceived in the mind and spirit of Irene (Rene) Llewellyn, a Middleburg resident born in England, the foundation began when Rene was waiting to pick up a child for a music lesson and witnessed the poverty on Windy Hill. She was so impacted that she was determined to help improve local living conditions along with a friend, Edna Washington. Rene’s plans blossomed from a  group of community members who formed the Windy Hill Foundation Charter Board, to include raising enough money to purchase the properties and then use Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds to pay for renovations of the homes. Over a 10-year initial revitalization period the community of 15 families who shared six outhouses and two cold water spigots transformed into totally renovated homes with water and sewer lines. The foundation realized during this initial time frame that the problem of inadequate, sub-standard housing and poverty was far greater than the small Windy Hill community.

By year twenty-five, 47 rental units throughout Middleburg had been acquired and renovated. By the 25th anniversary Windy Hill Foundation had built 186 affordable housing units throughout Loudoun Fauquier Counties. Rene’s dream went beyond housing to improving the resident’s needs and her philosophy drives the vision of Windy Hill today. 

During our July sponsorship period, Salon Khouri will donate $1 for every haircut we do and we encourage all of you to visit the Windy Hill Website to learn how you can help in other ways, including volunteering and direct donations.

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June 1, 2022  by

Honoring Kate Rhoades via Kate’s Cause – our June Community Outreach Partner

This June, our Salon Khouri Community Outreach Partner is Kate’s Cause. For each haircut we do in June we will be donating $1 in support of this amazing non-profit. Kate’s Cause is doing spectacular things for children who are battling cancer. Their mission is to discover improved and less toxic treatments for the disease. Currently, one of their main focuses is making a commitment of $75,000 to fund research being done by Dr. Yael Mossé, MD, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Mossé’s goal is to develop drugs specifically targeting MYCN, an “undruggable” driver of pediatric cancer. Doctor Mossé has gathered a team of researchers with individual experiences and ideas on attacking MYCN using new and innovative technology. Together, they will prove that the drugs they are developing are operative against most lethal pediatric cancers. Once the grant for the project is completed around Spring of 2025, they will be ready to launch a clinical trial and utilize the new medicine.  

Kate Rhoades

You can help out too in this journey! Kate’s Cause is easily accessible on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. Simply search for “Kate’s Cause.”

You can even support the cause in small actions throughout your day, or RAKs – Random Acts of Kateness. Kate was a kind soul who loved to spread joy, and you can spread awareness  by doing the same. Buy coffee for someone else in line – use the opportunity to tell them about Kate! Perhaps you could leave a note in a library book or shopping cart – brighten someone’s day!

You could write a thank you card for your bus driver, crossing guard or neighbor to wish them a nice day! Maybe leave some change at a vending machine along with a RAK tag.  You never know what small things can make someone’s day 100 times better, so give it a shot, and thank you for supporting Kate’s Cause. 

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May 6, 2022  by

What The Art of Driving is doing to save our teens…

First, some facts: 23% of teen drivers are more likely to drive with three or more teens in the car in the summer, compared to 6% of teen drivers who are more likely to do so during the school year.

  • 48% of all teen driving fatalities were single vehicle crashes.
  • Approximately 3,000 15-20 year-olds are killed each year in vehicle crashes.
  • Alcohol and drugs are not major causes for these fatalities – representing only 20%.
  • 54% of all teen passenger deaths occurred when another teen was driving.
  • The teen brain has not fully developed until the mid 20’s. They are susceptible to distractions, risk taking behaviors, and a limited capacity to multi-task.
  • Inexperience and distractions are the leading cause of teen driving fatalities, particularly for 16 and 17-year-olds.
  • The majority of teen auto fatalities occur on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Most of those deaths occurred between 9 p.m. and midnight.

So what can we, as parents, grandparents, and friends, do to keep our children, grandchildren and friends safe on the road? Education is one of the best ways to help and there is no better place to learn about teen driving safety than The Art of Driving, founded by Robin Thompson after she tragically lost her 16 year old daughter, Ashley Renee Thompson, in a single vehicular crash in 2003. Robin’s passion is now educating the public on how we can keep our teens safe on the road. The Art of Driving offers teen awareness and responsibility training, parent awareness and responsibility training, a teen task force, and programs brought into schools, youth groups and civic organizations.

Additionally, Robin gives back through The Ashley Renee Thompson Memorial Foundation scholarship each year, granted to a deserving graduating senior. The application process includes:

  • a 500 word essay
  • letters of recommendation
  • high school transcript
  • record of community/school service
  • a 55 second video you produce to empower and motivate your peers to “Survive the 5” leading causes of teen vehicle crashes.

Applications are now being accepted for their 2022 Ashley R. Thompson Memorial Scholarship.

We are honored to once again partner with The Art of Driving as our May Community Outreach Partner and are donating $1 from every haircut this month to this amazing, local non-profit.

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