CLEVELAND — Fresh cuts, new styles, and that undeniable boost of confidence the minute you hop out of the barber's chair — that's what 182 kids experienced at Cleveland's Back 2 School Ward 5 Festival Saturday afternoon.
"The haircut is just the bait to get them into the barber chair so we can love on them and support them and get them ready for the next school year," Waverly Willis, executive director of the Urban Barber Association, said.
The new fade isn't all as we head into fall. With inflation following a rough couple of years, things are tight, so 750 children also walked away with backpacks full of school essentials.
"Even through rough times, you got to think about the demographics of Ward 5," Councilman Richard Starr explained. "We just have some people who need some resources and if we're leaders and we have access to those resources, we are obligated to bring those into our community so they are able to be accessible."
This celebration is nothing new, and has become a generational tradition for the neighborhoods around Friendly Inn Settlement.
"Here's a good jumpstart for them, having their backpack, having their materials so that they are ready for their first day of school," Friendly Inn Settlement Executive Director Yolanda Armstrong said. "We're excited about that."
The community center has been open all summer for kids' programming, and will remain open after school and even some new resources coming this fall.
"The same kids that were here for our after-school program were just here for the summer," Armstrong told us. "We have a wonderful summer program for our youth, after school starts next week, because kids usually come here 2 to 5, Monday through Fridays."
Even with 750 bookbags to give away, all were gone with plenty of time left at the festival. Armstrong says if you are in need, the Friendly Inn will do everything they can to get your child a backpack of supplies. They are also taking donations.
You can reach them at (216) 431-7656. They open Monday morning.