Community Giving

August 4, 2018  by

It’s better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness: DC Candlelighters

We are honored to partner with DC Candlelighters, our August Community Outreach partner. DC Candlelighters is an all-volunteer organization providing emotional, educational, practical and financial support to families of children fighting cancer. The name Candlelighters comes from the ancient proverb: “it is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.” DC Candlelighters strives to provide a light in the darkness because we believe no family should face the uncertain world of childhood cancer alone.

DC Candlelighters was founded by a group of mothers whose own children fought cancer, to give families facing the devastating discovery of a child’s cancer something they had wished for themselves – someone who has “been there” and understands the fear, helplessness, and financial and family pressures that grow out of a childhood cancer diagnosis. The DC Candlelighters Board of Directors consists of parents who have had a child with cancer and professionals who have worked with families who experience childhood cancer. The non-profit serves all children with cancer and their families, long-term survivors of childhood cancer and their families, and bereaved families who live or receive treatment within 50 miles of the Washington DC, metropolitan area.

We will be donating $1 from every haircut we do in August from both our Fairfax and Dulles salons. We also wanted to share with you information about their biggest fundraiser of the year: Dancing Through the Decades. The event will have hors d’oeuvres, beverages, entertainment, dancing and a silent auction! All proceeds raised that evening will benefit DC Candlelighters so they can continue their programs and events. Purchase tickets before August 31st and receive a special price of $60 per ticket! Your ticket includes entry to the event, dining and two adult beverage drinks.

in Community 0 comments
February 1, 2018  by

More Than Just a Hat! Our February Community Outreach Partner

We just adore this photo posted to the Ellie’s Hats blog recently of sweet little Cash, having a blast in an Ellie’s Hats tote. They dubbed it, “Cash in a bag!”

Sweet Cash in an Ellie's Hats Bag

Cash and his family were recent recipients of an Ellie’s Hats care package that included a bag, hats (of course!), a tee shirt, bracelets, and a gas card. Cash’s mom sent a sweet thank you to Ellie’s Hats:

“We received your package and are so overwhelmed by your kindness. Thank you so much for the sweet hats for all our kids, the bracelets, the shirt, the ribbon pin, the amazing bag and the gas card. Cash and his siblings were so excited when they opened the box. It brought tears to mine and my husband’s eyes. We are so very grateful and feel so blessed to receive such a loving and caring package for our family. Thank you again….so much.”

We love what Ellie’s Hats is doing for local children battling cancer. What they do really is ‘More than just a hat.’ In fact, last year, Ellie’s Hats donated $20,000 in total Pediatric Oncology Family Support Fund at INOVA Children’s Hospital and Novant Hemby Children’s Hospital, coordinated Family Dinner Nights and have brought smiles to thousands of faces across the nation by sending handmade hats to children battling cancer.

We are proud to once again partner with Ellie’s Hats this February by donating $1 from every haircut in February from both our Fairfax and Dulles locations to Ellie’s Hats.

in Community 0 comments
September 2, 2017  by

Our Community Outreach Partner for August & September: The Truth 365

We cannot say enough good things about the work The Truth 365 is doing in the childhood cancer community. Their beautiful (and Emmy award winning!) documentaries and media campaigns (such as this breathtaking one of Kylie Myers) are bringing awareness to a cause that so desperately needs it. Through increased awareness comes increased funding. You see, children *should be* our nations’ priority. Yet, the shocking lack of funding for childhood cancers indicates otherwise. We are sad to again be including this fact in our blog: the National Cancer Institute allocates only 4% of it’s cancer research budget toward childhood cancers. And 4% is simply not enough. Drug companies aren’t allocating research dollars either, as there are 16 major types of pediatric cancers and over 100 subtypes – all of which need to be approached differently. Much of the funding for new therapies are left to be raised by the parents, which is a burden they should not have to bear. Yet, they do, faced with no other options for helping their children. They bike, run, shave their heads, participate in ultra marathons — just about anything they can do — they will to raise money to give to advance research.

We are encouraged by a few amazing breakthroughs in recent weeks. The RACE for Children’s Act became law, which will significantly increase the number of new drugs available to children with cancer as well as increase new research dollars flowing into childhood cancer research. And on August 30, 2017, the FDA approved a groundbreaking CAR T Cell Therapy for kids battling leukemia.

But there is more to do, which is why Salon Khouri will continue to partner with The Truth 365 #UntilChildhoodCancerIsExtinct in honor of Kate, Mathias, Alex, Gabby, Kyle, Gavin, Chris, Delaney, Casey, Declan, Isabella

We would love for you to spread the word about CureFest, an amazing and FREE childhood cancer event in Washington DC! We will once again be volunteering at the Crazy Hair Day booth! And this year, CureFest has some AMAZING headliners! Sabrina Carpenter, Caly Bevier (Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer pick from last year) and World of Dance qualifier Diana Pombo! Please share this page to let people know about the awesome talent lined up for this year and encourage them to join in being a voice for children battling cancer.

SabrinaCarpenter

 

 

We are donating $1 from every haircut from both locations in August and September to The Truth 365. You also have an opportunity to help by donating at our front desk where you can fill out a Childhood Cancer Awareness Square to hang in our window to help us #GoGold this September! To read more about the shocking facts of childhood cancer, please read our blog post from last year.

childhoodcancersquare

in Community 0 comments
January 30, 2014  by

Our heart knows these gals will make a difference!

For the last couple of years in February, we’ve been making a push to increase awareness of womens’ heart disease issues, and have been donating to the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. We wanted to have a more direct impact this year, did some research and have selected the Go Red for Women Multicultural Scholarship Fund for our community giving efforts this February. We read through some of the stories from the 2013 scholarship winners and fell in love with some of these gals! We love their determination for learning and their passion for helping and serving others. They are amazing young women and we know they will have an amazing impact on others in their careers!

ScholarshipWinners

Whittney Work has always dreamed of being a neonatal nurse. Whittney grew up in a household with two other sisters and a single mother working hard to keep the family afloat. To help out, Work began shifts as a waitress at sixteen to help support her family. “Although it was challenging and tiring, I managed to graduate with honors, and I am now the first child in my family to attend a university,” states Work. Currently, Work maintains a part-time job, is enrolled in 13 credit hours of classes, and does clinical nursing rotations — all while maintaining a 3.8 GPA. The scholarship helps Work pay for tuition. “Because I come from a low-income family, my mother can’t contribute to my education the way she’d like.”

Jainty John also stole our hearts after we read her story of growing up in a village where “disease and medical problems were more common than medicine and doctors.” John is currently studying to be a physician’s assistant and is enrolled in the graduate physician’s assistant program at Le Moyne College. To help pay her tuition, John works two jobs at a hospital and interns at a dental clinic during the summer. The scholarship helps lessen the burden for John so she can focus more on her studies.

And Myo-Sabai Aye, who is pursuing a rigorous M.D./Master’s in Public Heath at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Aye, an immigrant from Burma, learned English by studying children’s books. She went on to graduate from the University of Virginia and greatly appreciates the scholarship as it allows her to cut back on her hours as an interpreter for the International Refugee Committee, work she loves doing, but doesn’t have time for with the rigorous curriculum of her program.

We hope that our contribution will help other women like Work, John and Aye, so they can realize their dreams of serving others.

For the month of February, Salon Khouri will donate $1 from every haircut to the Go Red for Women Multicultural Scholarship Fund. You will also have the opportunity at checkout to donate an additional $1, $3, or $5.

in Community 3 comments
November 5, 2013  by

What we love about Our Daily Bread Fairfax

We lovODBLogoe Our Daily Bread Fairfax as they have a full spectrum of services to help our neighbors-in-need. What makes Our Daily Bread unique is that they were developed to serve the families who, while not homeless, are in financial crisis and are in danger of “falling through the cracks” toward homelessness. The families helped by Our Daily Bread range from the working poor — often juggling multiple jobs — to the elderly and disabled. And, more than half of those served by Our Daily Bread are children. Our Daily Bread helped local resident, Monica, after the company she worked for went out of business. Monica had a good job and savings, but struggled to support her children after she lost her job. Monica shared a little about her experience with Our Daily Bread:

Our Daily Bread pretty much saved my life…If it wasn’t for the help that I have gotten from them, I don’t know what would have happened. I think I would be in a shelter with my kids right now.

The mission of Our Daily Bread is simple: guiding our neighbors toward self-sufficiency. In addition to providing food assistance, Our Daily Bread offers Financial Literacy programs to help those in need with financial guidance and training.

We are cheerfully supporting Our Daily Bread by donating $1 from every haircut in November. Also, you will have an opportunity at check out to add an additional $1, $3, or $5 to your ticket to be donated to Our Daily Bread. These donations will be supporting Fairfax families-in-need with meals and gifts this Christmas season.

in Community 0 comments