Salon offers kids free back-to-school cuts

Becca Schmaltz, 8, hopped down from the chair she was sitting in for a haircut and walked back to where her grandmother Devona Mollahan was waiting.

“It’s good,” Becca said of her haircut.

“I love it, it’s beautiful,” her grandmother said.

Becca and siblings – twin Annabelle and 6-year-old brother, Joey – were among nearly 30 students at McDonald Elementary School on Friday getting free haircuts for the first day of school.

“I think it means so much,” said school counselor Missy Scott. She said starting the year with a fresh haircut can help students have more confidence.

Scott was getting a haircut from Mateo Balmes at Dept. Z this spring when he suggested the idea.

His wife had recently made him watch the movie “Freedom Writers,” which is about a teacher who works with at-risk kids in the inner city.

Balmes said he was inspired to do something for students outside of school – and haircuts were something he could give.

On Friday, after he had given about four cuts, he said, “A lot of them are really excited.”

The idea was so popular at Dept. Z that every stylist volunteered for the event at McDonald.

Owner Zoe Boysen said her salon has done charitable projects over the years, but never something like this.

“I thought it was absolutely fabulous,” Boysen said. On Friday, she talked about one little girl who took a picture of her new haircut and gave Boysen a hug.

“It was so sweet,” Boysen said.

The event was so successful, Dept. Z hopes to expand it next year.

Along with the haircuts, students also received new backpacks from One Church Spokane. They were filled with school supplies such as pencils, Kleenex and glue sticks.

Dept. Z “had the idea and followed through to make it happen for our kids,” Scott said.

There were no income requirements for the students to receive the cuts, they just had to sign up.