Hearts 4 Vic Kicks Off Final Week With Almost $10,000 Raised

Hearts 4 Vic, the philanthropic four-week education platform hosted through Aftermath HairEd on Facebook, is heading into its final week. Combined with Jenni Tarrant’s Industry Friends with Helping Hands Go Fund Me page, the industry has raised almost $10,000 to help Victorian hairdressers who have had to close their salons during lockdown, speaking to the compassion of the industry.

Organised by Kobi Bokshish, Adam Ciaccia and Julie Mahony, the initiative has hosted creative hair sessions online every Monday night, and business and wellness sessions on Wednesdays. Hairdressers were asked to donate and give as little as $2 to access the education while Victorian hairdressers learned for free. The donations have been converted into grocery vouchers, in conjunction with philanthropic salon community Hair Aid, to help salons and hairdressers in need.

Week four kicked off with a barber and cutting focused creative line-up, with sessions hosted by Nazar Lamy, JB Mazzella and TONI&GUY. On the final night on Wednesday, Julia Piantadosi, Simone Lee, Jo Burgess and INSTYLE editor Cameron Pine will cover topics of business, technology and more.

Beyond the actual money being donated, the solidarity of the hair industry is plain to see. As an example, Selina Tomisch of Hair Aid shared these words of support from an anonymous donor.

“The skills and professions that are safe from automation are those that are highly skilled and creative or require a human touch — roles filled by hairdressers and beauticians, nurses, baristas, physical therapists, educators and classroom teachers, dentists, personal trainers and fire fighters, among others. I feel super lucky, in fact pretty special to be a hairdresser,” the donor said.

“In my 30 plus years of running a salon this would have to be the most stressful, challenging and daunting time l have been though on so many levels both personally and professionally,” they continued. “Victorian salon owners, this moment in time will pass, it has to! It is with patience and positivity and supporting one another that we will begin to thrive again and that human touch, that human interaction and connection that makes our profession so personal and engaging, will once again be beautiful. It is only when you are forced to leap off the ledge of familiarity that you start to find out who you truly are and what makes you most come alive. Believe in you, your team, your salon family, together we will, and can make a difference.”

It’s a sentiment worth remembering as we learn and donate with Hearts 4 Vic for the final time. Dig deep!

To donate visit https://www.hairaid.org.au/donate

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