August 28, 2009
By AldrichH M. Tan / THE DESERT SUN
Robin Wood was in tears as she watched her two sons "start to look like grown young men."
The single mom of five from Twentynine Palms brought her children to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission backpack giveaway, which included free haircuts, last weekend in Indio.
"I am amazed about what happened today, and I am so blessed and so thankful," Wood, 39, said. "My kids look really good, too."
Eleven stylists from beauty schools in Indio and Palm Desert gave at least 70 free haircuts to children inside the facility's chapel during the Rescue Mission's eighth annual backpack giveaway.
The Rescue Mission also gave away at least 2,800 backpacks with school supplies and 750 pairs of shoes through KDI Kares, the philanthropic organization for KDI Elements.
"It is amazing," women and families shelter manager Kitty Killian said last week. "It is such a blessing to be a part of this."
The free haircuts are the latest addition to the backpack giveaway, Killian said. Rescue Mission volunteers developed the idea last month and asked local stylists to help out.
Stylist Dana Ransom from the Sunrise Beauty Center in Westfield Palm Desert said she gave at least 20 haircuts.
"I think these haircuts will add more confidence for these children and will help them to fit in better," Ransom said last week.
Wood, who is unemployed, said she cannot afford to take her children to a hair salon, so she usually does the haircuts herself.
"Now, they are getting the haircuts that they have always wanted," Wood said.
The Rescue Mission is still accepting more backpacks and school supplies at the facility for families who could not make it to the giveaway, Killian said.
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