Recently, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a non-profit organization that strives to break the cycle of homelessness by empowering people with the tools for self sufficiency, teamed up with Stephanie Singleton, owner of Xtending Hair, a mobile hair styling service to provide the women of PATH with a “Glamour Day” to help boost their morale and self esteem.
Glamour Day was a collaboration between PATH’s on-site Vera Brown Personal Care Salon and Glamour Project, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged women. As part of the event, homeless women received free makeovers, before-and-after photo shoots and an 8×10 photograph.
Year-round PATH offers several services through PATHMall, a unique shopping mall where the homeless can “shop” for services provided by more than a dozen on-site social service providers, all under one roof. Some of the services available include case management, substance abuse counseling, a job center, mental health services, legal advocacy, healthcare, and a beauty salon, all free of charge. Singleton was on hand to teach residents the art of sew-in hair weaves and extensions while performing demonstrations on PATH residents.
Singleton is passionate about educating disadvantaged women in hair grooming.
“I’m honored that PATH (allowed) me to join them on that special day which gave hope to so many individuals. My gift of styling hair has touched the lives of many women, giving them a sense of hope and inspiration. When I hand the mirror to my client and see their smile, they are giving hope and inspiration back to me,” says Singleton who has styled the hair of various celebrities including Rosie Perez, Katt Williams and Judge Alex and was the key hairstylist for Nick Canon’s “Wild N Out” on MTV. She has also worked as a greenroom stylist, prepping celebrities for the Television Critic Association and has worked on a variety of music videos and television shows.
Singleton created her mobile salon to offer clients personalized, private and reasonably priced services to accommodate their busy schedules and lifestyles.
According to the Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty at the Weingart Center in downtown Los Angeles, approximately 254,000 men, women and children experience homelessness in Los Angeles County during some part of the year, and approximately 82,000 people are homeless on any given night with the largest percentages in South Los Angeles. African Americans make up approximately half of the Los Angeles County’s homeless population.
For additional information about PATH, visit www.epath.org or contact Katie Hill at (323) 644-2229 or at katieh@epath.org.
