Recently, Germantown hair-salon owner Yolanda Keels-Walker gave a group of young girls and boys their moment in the runway spotlight all while supporting a unique mentoring program.
“We wanted to do something for the community, and we also wanted to take out some time to recognize all of our clients and their children, and build them up because they need positive outlets like this,” Keels-Walker said on Saturday.
Area youths, some as young as three, donned the latest fashions from local designers and walked the runway to tunes from Kanye West’s “808’s & Heartbreaks” at the Suite Extensions Hair Salon’s Fearless Fashion and Hair Showcase. Among those featured was local designer Julia Bridges-Turner, creator of the J.Si’Monae clothing line. She saw the showcase as a great opportunity to introduce her fashions to the community while contributing to a good cause.
A portion of the proceeds were donated to the Melanie Marie Gems and Jewels Mentoring Program, an organization that promotes arts education, cultural exploration and public service among girls between the ages of 10 to 18.
“I wanted to start a program for young girls to give them access to people and activities and different events that they normally wouldn’t have access to,” program founder Melanie White said. “Here in Philadelphia, we do see a lot of children that if they had that little additional nudge or just a bit of positive reinforcement, it would really help, really make a big difference,” she said. “So, anything I can do to help with that type of mentorship, I want to do.”
White’s program is currently assisting a group from the School House Lane Group Home for Girls. Managed by the Baptist Children’s Services, the agency serves adjudicated dependent and neglected youth.
“We do activities with them. We teach them how to cook, or sew or bake,” White explained. “Some of them might want to be a cook, some might want to be a doctor, or a rapper or a basketball player.
“I have a lot of friends in different fields, so we might have a day where we bring them to the hair salon or I have a friend who has a nail salon, we might take them there. It gives them a chance to see what they could be or do. I’ve always been community centered and I love kids so this was a great opportunity to do what I love to do.”
Sounds like a great event for a wonderful cause, way to pay it forward.
