"Timothy's Salon co-owners Alan Garrett and Timothy Johnson saw an opportunity to help a few of the many in need this season and jumped at the chance. At the suggestion of a regular client of their salon who was also a member of Southern Hills United Methodist Church's WOWEE group (Women Offering Encouragement and Education), they decided to offer their services to approximately 20 women served by the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program.
As the chatter buzzed throughout the salon located at the corner of Woodland Avenue and East Main Street, scissors trimmed, hairdryers styled, and nails were manicured in an effort to address one of the most telling effects of domestic abuse — the lost of self-worth. Between 1 and 4 p.m. on December 4, the salon closed to its usual clients, and the free makeovers and festive party favors and food offered transformed not only the salon itself, but the faces and attitudes of a needy group of women. Tears rolled down a number of faces as the results shone in the mirrors. Commented Josh Saxton, whose students from Spencerian College offered chair massages to the women, "We appreciate the opportunity to help and have been looking forward to this." Timothy Johnson set his scissors down and dashed across the room to compliment a young woman, whose newly shorn locks brought a smile to her face.
In a perfect example of how a small business can have sizeable effects on the community it operates in, the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program expressed its gratitude. "It's an amazing feeling, seeing the faces," said salon co-owner Timothy Johnson and Darlene Thomas, executive director of BVDP, agreed. "It's a tremendous gift to these women," she added.
Although it may appear as a small step, it is one in the direction towards independence, improved chances for employment and educational possibilities, all of which improve not only these individual's lives, but the life of the community they live in.
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