The Temple ? A Paul Mitchell Partner School Helps Build Homes for Katrina Victims

On October 7, 2007 a select team of Future Professionals from The Temple � A Paul Mitchell Partner Beauty School in Frederick MD, joined Director of Advanced Education Christian Riser on a trip to New Orleans to take part in building two Paul Mitchell School homes with Habitat for Humanity. Future Professional John Sparks shared his experiences of the trip.

�Driving through New Orleans, it looked like Katrina just hit yesterday,� John said. The group stayed with 200 other volunteers at Camp Hope, a school that was damaged by the storm and has since become a home base for volunteers. �The camp had fully working showers, Internet, a mess hall�everything you could need and more,� John said.

On Monday morning, the group made the one-hour trip to their work site, only to find it closed because of rain. So they got back into their van�which was covered with �Free Hugs� signs�and headed for the local Paul Mitchell distributorship where Christian purchased about $900 worth of products and gifts for the volunteers. �After we got back to the camp, we took guests from 4 PM until about 1 AM,� John explains. �We did everything from haircuts to highlights. Every volunteer was so excited. Some of them haven�t ever had a salon experience in their lives. That�s when I truly felt like a day maker.�

Day two started at 6:30 AM, when the team headed back to the job site. �We worked for hours hammering and cleaning up, then it started to rain again so we packed up and headed back to camp to do more hair,� John says. When they stopped for more supplies, Mark Palermo, owner of the Slidell school and distributorship, donated $400 in products. Christian and John set up their stations and did hair until 2 AM. �We were beat but the thank you�s and the smiles were well worth it,� John said.

For the next two days, Christian was a guest artist at the Baton Rouge and Slidell schools. �We got to see our mentor teach some classes and I even got to cut some hair,� John said, �That�s when I decided I wanted to be an educator. The trip to New Orleans was amazing. This opportunity paved the way for me to really give back outside of the industry. The people I met along the way and the relationships I developed reconfirmed why I chose to join the Temple � A Paul Mitchell Partner School.�

�What an amazing opportunity that was given to us by Winn Claybaugh and Vidal Sassoon. The team that was chosen are true visionaries. We are so lucky to have them in the Paul Mitchell family!� said Sharon Riser, Sales/Admissions Leader for The Temple � A Paul Mitchell Partner School.

Christian added, "I am so proud of our Future Professionals and what they accomplished. We helped build two homes and were day makers to the volunteers at Camp Hope. It was a week filled with lots of love and laughter!�