Project Community Connect

There’s nothing quite like a fresh haircut to boost the confidence, which is probably why the free haircuts at last week’s Project Community Connect were so popular.
Dean Fisher, of Owatonna, said the main reason he attended was “for the haircut. They’re like, $25 outside of here,” and he hadn’t had one since December.
“You know, $25 is a lot of money,” Fisher said. “I have a job, but I haven’t made much money yet.”
That’s exactly why the annual event is so important, said Elise Savor, a case manager with Project Home, which spearheaded the project.
More than 30 booths were set up at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna, offering services and resources for housing, education, employment, mental and physical health care, food support, senior services and more.
Students from Riverland Community College’s School of Cosmetology provided the haircuts and shaves, all without charge.
The event was cancelled because of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, but many of the vendors had been there in the past, Savor said, and were glad to be back.
That went for the attendees, too, she said: “There were some familiar faces, but a lot of people” who were attending for the first time.
Savor estimated about 100 people came through the doors for services.
One was Mariah Britten, who has lived in Owatonna for four years but was new to the event.
She visited vendors with Reinaldo Quesada as a volunteer held their newborn daughter, Angela.
“There’s a lot of help, a lot of information,” Quesada said.
Britten, who has six other children, picked up blankets, icepacks, water bottles “and toothbrush kits for my kids.”
The services available “have been very helpful to me. There are a lot of resources,” she said. “The community is very helpful; these are services that I’ve already been connected with.”
Britten was able to pick up a package of diapers and some shampoo and soaps, as well.
Brenda Shockey learned about the event through a flyer sent out by Steele County Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
While she also took advantage of the free haircut, “they have women’s toiletries, too, that I was able to get with no problem.”
Shockey works for Owatonna Live as a master camera operator after moving back to town from Kansas.
She was able to find housing through the HRA Bridges Rental Assistance Program; Fisher is also using the program.
“All of the people here are really respectful,” Shockey said. “They don’t make me feel shame for being low-income. This whole place makes you feel successful.”
In addition, she said, “for them to understand that a lot of people who come to this event have mental health issues – and they’re patient. While I was getting my hair cut, I was sitting there listening to the conversations, and it was amazing how upbeat and really nice people were.”
That’s exactly what Savor hoped to hear.
“We try to make it as judgment-free, as barrier-free as possible,” she said.
Randy Moore, of Owatonna, knows a little about barriers.
He returned to the city to retire after living and working in South Minneapolis for more than 40 years.
“I’m interested in transportation, because of my vision,” Moore said. “I’d like to check out my options for that and anything else that comes up.”
Moore is considered legally blind in the peripheral, but not acuity.
He chatted while Maddy Glanzman, a first-year cosmetology student at Riverland Community College, provided his haircut.
He learned about the event while attending Meals for Hope at the church.
“I’m independent, but I wanted to see the options,” Moore said. “I may have more issues in the future.”
He’s had some training in cane travel, and was just getting the hang of listening to traffic when his coach had to move.
Safety was a big factor in his move back to Owatonna, Moore said: “There’s people that will take advantage of somebody who has trouble seeing.”
In addition to the 18 aspiring cosmetologists, about 15 OHS students were volunteering at the event, including seniors Connor Ginskey, Eli Knutson, Cael Dowling and Preston Meier.
All members of the National Honor Society, they were staffing the lunch area, serving sandwiches, chips and more – also at no cost.
“People are super-thankful to be able to come in and get a good meal,” Knutson said.
Seeing the need first-hand, said Dowling, “definitely gives us a new perspective.”
“It makes us more grateful for what we have, too,” Ginskey added.
If you or someone you know missed the event, Savor has some advice:
“Reach out to any community resource, really,” she said. “Steele County is really good at community collaboration. If that specific agency doesn’t specialize in what you need, they’ll point you in the right direction.”