Last week, one-year old William received his very first haircut at Pathways of Hope. His mother, Jane, held him as our volunteer stylist, Alysha Walker, carefully cut his fine strawberry-blonde hair.
Who is Alysha Walker and how did she become involved with Pathways of Hope?
Alysha is a hairstylist at Salon Technique in Fullerton. After a long day of work, she decided to treat herself to a burger at In N Out, where she struck up a conversation with another woman while waiting in line. That woman was Kathy Schuster, the Founder and Executive Director of the Fullerton nonprofit CareerWise. CareerWise is one of Pathways’ partners, offering free career counseling services to homeless clients at Pathways’ HUB of Hope.
“We were talking about what we do for a living,” said Alysha, “And I told her that I had been having volunteering on my mind. She said, ‘It would be great if you could donate haircuts,’ and I said, ‘That would be awesome.’” Kathy connected Alysha with Pathways of Hope’s Volunteer Coordinator, Nancy Somerville, and now Alysha visits Pathways of Hope’s every Wednesday to provide free haircuts for our shelter residents.
Alysha treasures the relationships she’s building with Pathways’ shelter residents, and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to utilize her skills as a stylist to help people in need. “I feel like I’m helping them and they’re helping me,” she said. Jayson Schivley, a Case Manager at Pathways’ New Vista Shelter, said, “I think it means the world to our residents to receive a haircut from a quality hairstylist.”
Little William learned to walk on Pathways’ campus, and now that he has received his first haircut here, he has achieved another milestone at Pathways of Hope. Soon his family will move into permanent housing, and William will achieve new milestones in a home of his own.
If you are looking for a new hairstylist and would like to contact Alysha, she can be reached at Salon Technique by calling (714) 482-5469.
Are you inspired by Alysha’s kindness and generosity?
Do you want to make a difference, but you don’t have time to volunteer?
You can rebuild lives of those in need by donating to Pathways of Hope. Consider becoming a Sustaining Partner by signing up to make a monthly donation and help homeless families like William’s all year round.
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