Belleville hairstylists making cuts to help those in need

By Julia Lennips

BELLEVILLE – A team of local hair stylists will be helping some members of the  community this Sunday with free haircuts for those in need.

Street Stylez was started four years ago by Melissa Payton-Van Norman, owner of KOR Hair Studio, with the help of other local stylists, the community and volunteers. It happens twice a year, once in August with a theme of back to school where they give out stuffed backpacks and free haircuts, and once in February where they provide warm clothing for the winter season along with free haircuts and toiletries.

It will be held at the Salvation Army Community Church, 29 Bridge Street West from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Payton-Van Norman says she started Street Stylez because she wanted to help people in her own community.

“We don’t necessarily have the same homeless that Toronto has where you walk down the street and see it, or there are specific shelters that they can go to. So my idea was to see if there was anything I could do to help anybody in need.”

She says Street Stylez is something that is beneficial to the community.

“The first event I think we had 108 people show up, so it’s definitely a need in this area but you don’t visually see it like you do in other places,” she told QNet News.

Payton-Van Norman says she thinks others should pay attention to what’s happening to others locally.

“That was me growing up. I didn’t get a new outfit going back to school most of the time because we didn’t have enough money. My mom was on assistance and I was also a younger mom that needed assistance.”

She says she believes every community member has value.

“When we’re put into a different situation where we can help, we should with no real expectation coming out of it other than just to help our community and grow,” she added.

Street Stylez is a day of love where people give without asking for anything in return, and it’s also something that puts things into perspective says Payton-Van Norman.