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Highlands Today

Salon Offers Free Hair Cuts To Job Seekers

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: March 31, 2009

SEBRING - Lori Guelff got tired of seeing all the bad news about the economy.

So, inspired by a story her mother sent her, the owner of a day spa and hair salon decided to do what she could about it.

Starting tomorrow, by appointment at The Studio of Health and Beauty, 1131 US 27 S., Guelff is offering a free hair cut to people who've lost a job and are looking for work.

"Ever since the economy went south, we've tried to think about what we can do to boost people's morale, to find something positive we can do for the community," Guelff said.

That idea came in a recent letter from her mother, containing a newspaper story from Stuart about a hair salon providing free hair cuts to unemployed job seekers.

"I read that article and I thought, 'What a great idea,'" Guelff said. "That's something we can really do, something simple, something we can work into our every day routine."

Beyond the initial free hair cut, Guelff also will give an unemployed job seeker half-off on subsequent cuts and one hair coloring at half price.

She is asking people to schedule an appointment by calling 863-386-0822 and, when they come in for their free hair cut, to bring their updated resume. Her staff will keep the resumes on file and keep their ears open for any possible job leads from customers.

"We have such a vast mix of clients, people from so many different fields, and we thought this is a way we could help people network," Guelff explained.

Giving back to the community is nothing new for Guelff, who opened her day spa and hair salon five years ago. From the start, she has provided free facials for cancer patients and no-cost scar reduction therapy to women recovering from surgery for breast cancer.

"The community has been very good to us," she said. With so many people facing tough times, she said, she felt it's time to give back more to the community.

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression, and so a good hair cut can't hurt one's chances in a job interview. Guelff, though, said she's offering the free hair cuts mostly to lift job seekers' spirits in this tough economy.

Guelff said her business is ultimately about "helping people feel better about themselves" and she hopes to pass that along to people thrown into the hunt for a new job.

"When you feel better about yourself you're whole attitude is better," she said. "And attitude can be everything."

Highlands Today reporter Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com.

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