Salon Owners Offer Free Haircuts To Healthcare Workers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - New Yorkers have been dealing with the city's stay-at-home order for months as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts average day-to-day life.
CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reports salon owners are now coming together to bring a sense of normalcy back to health care workers.
Kathleen Coyne, 31, is a registered nurse at Bellevue Hospital and hasn't gotten a haircut since February.
Coyne said a trip to the salon is not a priority, but it's something she misses dearly.
"It definitely feels nice to sit in the chair, have somebody talking to me, making me feel pretty," said Coyne.
On Monday, Coyne was one of many health care workers who received free haircuts at a salon in Brooklyn.
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The haircuts are part of an initiative called Hairdressers for Heroes, which was organized by a group of 10 salon owners in New York.
Nick Arrojo, owner of Arrojo Studio, said the initiative is a way for the industry to give back to the community.
Arrojo also said the salons are taking extra precautions and following the state's reopening procedures.
"We have to wear masks, visors. We have to be tested. We have to make sure that we create a very, what I consider a touchless experience," Arrojo told Dhillon. "We're practicing these new protocols, and we're seeing how comfortable it is because when we get back to work, we need to be able to share that with our employees."
The city said it understands the difficulties facing small businesses during the pandemic, but noted hair salons are still deemed nonessential.
Arrojo believes this group of salon owners is proving they can safely reopen.
"This is our protest at the same time while creating something really good for the community," said Arrojo. "We're pushing back and saying that we can open safely and we're putting nobody at harm here."
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Brittany Potter, a registered nurse at Bellevue, said, "They're following the proper guidelines to going back to normal, and even though if they're not supported to be doing it, there's a lot worse things happening in New York City right now."
Hairdressers for Heroes plans to expand and offer free haircuts to health care workers around the country once salons are allowed to reopen.
