Dear Community Partners:
We are excited to announce the launch of The Look of Love in California! Our mission is to empower foster youth through hair care education and services, and provide support and hair care for children whose hair needs are often neglected due to a lack of understanding. There is significant oversight in the social services system to address the challenges that group home managers and foster parents face to care for hair that may be ethnically different from their own, as well as the negative psychological impacts that children face when their hair is not well-maintained.
As a social worker I saw firsthand the hardships children faced on a daily basis. It was heartbreaking to see the number of ethnically diverse children with hair painfully matted to their head because caretakers responsible for the children did not have the resources or educational support to help them. My experience in social work moved me to create The Look of Love to provide outreach, education, and services to help foster children who are often overlooked, overcome bullying and low self-esteem. By providing proper hair care to help children maintain their appearance, it is my hope that we can make one small difference for children living in the foster care system.
The story of the Look of Love began in Arizona where we successfully provided hair care services to foster children and youth, and educational training from haircare professionals for families and group home managers.
In California, we plan to serve children and youth in the Greater Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange County regions. Partnerships in the community — including foster care groups, hair salons, beauty schools, and small businesses and advocacy organizations — are vital to the work of The Look of Love, and we have hit the ground running to foster those relationships and build our networks.
Our success also depends on generous and compassionate organizations and individuals like you who are ready to help make a difference in the life of a foster child. A seemingly small contribution such as a haircut is huge in a world where impulse judgments are made on appearance. These seemingly small differences can affect a child’s opportunity to excel, and add to the weight of hardships that contribute to the cycle of poverty and trauma.
Your involvement will make a lasting impact on the lives of foster children, who often find ways to contribute to their community once they leave the system. In addition, foster families and group home managers gain skills and are able to share knowledge with other caretakers and children. If you’re interested, I would like to schedule some time to discuss the work of The Look of Love in greater detail. We also offer other options for individuals and groups to show their support with a financial contribution. Our impact is made greater through the support of our community and people like you.
Here’s How You Can Help!
Make a tax deductible contribution today! Donate!
If you’re a corporate sponsor that would like to contribute products or provide a matching grant for The Look of Love’s #GivingTuesday challenge, contact us today!
With gratitude, The Look of Love
