Elgin-area barbershops offer free back-to-school haircuts for students in need
Several Elgin-area barbershops again are partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin to offer free back-to-school haircuts for students in need.
Haircuts and hairdos will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (2 p.m. for the last walk-in) Sunday at the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin, 355 Dundee Ave. It is open to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. There also will be informational booths from community partners, activities for families, and food and beverages.
Participating businesses include Sauvage Barber Parlor in South Elgin, Fade Stars Barbershop in Elgin, In The Cut Hair Studios in Elgin, Tapered Edges in West Dundee, VBeauty XO in Elgin, Stay Sharp Cuts & Shaves in Elgin, the Cosmetology & Spa Academy and Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, both Elgin campuses.
"I'm very thankful for all the community partners, local barbershops, salons and barbers schools coming together to help this event come to light," said Wilbur Dumas Jr., owner of Lincoln Avenue Barbershop in Elgin and a product of the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin and graduate of Larkin High School in Elgin. "It's our duty to give back to the community and send our youth back to school with that 'can-do' attitude. My motto is, you look good, you feel good."
Elgin City Council member Corey Dixon, the Windy City Bulls and DeeJayRoby entertainment company are event partners.
"I'm happy to be leading this service to the community with community partners, Lincoln Avenue Barbershop and the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin," Dixon said. "Without great people such as them, this isn't possible."
Exhibit confronts violence:
The Fox River Valley Public Library District is hosting a traveling exhibition titled "Confronting Violence: Improving Women's Lives/Enfrentando la violencia, mejorando la vida de las mujeres."
The bilingual, five-banner exhibition from the National Library of Medicine is on display through Sept. 9 at the Dundee Library, 555 Barrington Ave. in East Dundee.
The traveling exhibition tells the story of nurses working to reform a medical profession that failed to acknowledge domestic violence as a health issue. Beginning in the late 1970s, nurses pushed the larger medical community to identify victims, adequately respond to their needs and work toward the prevention of domestic violence. For more information, visit nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/confrontingviolence.
The Fox River Valley Public Library District serves 70,000 residents of Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow, Gilberts, and parts of Algonquin. For library hours, visit frvpld.info or call (847) 428-3661.
School supplies:
ICNA Relief's MEGA Back-to-School Distribution event marks its 15th anniversary this year.
Illinois students in kindergarten through 12th grade can collect school supplies, including backpacks, notebooks, pencils and binders Wednesday in Glendale Heights, Naperville and Wheaton.
Distribution locations are the Glendale Heights Food Pantry, 1781 Bloomingdale; the Islamic Center of Naperville Ogden, 2844 W. Ogden Ave.; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road in Wheaton.
ICNA Relief will distribute an estimated 20,400 backpacks to students nationwide. More than 1 million students have been reached since the program's inception.
For more information, contact Nasreen Khan at nasreen.khan@IcnaRelief.org or (630) 532-7723.
Visit icnarelief.org/back2school/.
Racism-Free Schools Act:
Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week signed the Racism-Free Schools Act supported by more than 35 educational and community organizations.
The legislation asks every school in Illinois to adopt a specific policy on race-related harassment and discrimination, train employees to recognize and report incidents and inform student and families of their rights and reporting options using accessible, age-appropriate language.
The bill passed with bipartisan majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly and a unanimous final vote in the Senate.
It also creates a state-level data system to better track how harassment and discrimination impact students and teachers.
The Racism-Free Schools Act was developed by Teach Plus teacher leaders in response to an epidemic of hate crimes in schools nationwide. A 2021 report found hate crimes in schools increased by 81% from 2016 to 2018, and that 48% of incidents were related to racial identity, with an estimated 1.6 million students targeted by hate speech in a single school year.
In a 2022 Teach Plus poll of 284 educators across Illinois, 93% of teachers who responded highlighted racial harassment as a problem in their schools and called for mandated training.
"By passing the Racism-Free Schools Act, our legislators send a clear message that schools in Illinois are committed to better supporting and protecting our students and teachers of color," said Elliot Hile, Teach Plus Illinois Policy Fellow and high school music teacher at Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa.
Holocaust programs:
Jewish Community Centers (JCC) Chicago's Violins of Hope project will conduct holocaust programs in person and virtually at various suburban public libraries.
Programs are offered at the Schaumburg Township District Library, Vernon Area Public Library, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Aurora Public Library District and Gail Borden Public Library. Check library websites for information on upcoming programs.
•"Footsteps of My Father: A Story of Courage, Resilience and Honor" will be held at noon Friday at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave., Arlington Heights.
Pastor Chris Edmonds tells the story of his father, World War II veteran Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds, whose bravery saved the lives of more than 200 Jewish American soldiers in a prisoner of war camp in Germany. Register at ahml.info/scheduling/reservation/117108.
•Violins of Hope storytelling and performance is from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday at Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Register at ahml.info/scheduling/reservation/104663.
•"The Suitcase" is a one-man multimedia show that blends narrative storytelling, photos, video and music to tell one family's experience before, during and after the Holocaust as antisemitism grew in Germany. The program will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7 in the Meadows Community Rooms of Gail Borden's Main Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Register at attend.gailborden.info/event/8553679.
• Share stories and news from the suburban mosaic at mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com.