BALTIMORE — What began as one hair appointment for an 8-year-old boy has grown into a mission to restore confidence in children across Baltimore.
Tina Moore, stylist at Capelli Hair Services, got a call about a young boy who was homeless and hadn’t had a haircut in more than six months. By the time he made it to her chair, he had already missed two weeks of school.
“He was crying a lot because he said, ‘I’m going to be embarrassed in school. Please don’t cut my hair,’” Moore recalled. “His hair was so matted I didn’t know if I could save it.”
For two hours, Moore gently detangled the boy’s hair while the men in the shop poured encouragement into him. Her mother, a social worker, even joined the appointment to speak with the family. By the end, the boy’s tears turned into relief.
“He gave me a hug and said, ‘Now I’m ready to go to school,’” Moore said.
That moment sparked a bigger question for Moore: how many other children are missing school because they don’t have access to proper hair care and hygiene products.
“Sometimes we think kids are young and don't understand what self-esteem and confidence is, oh they do,” Moore said.
She reached out to Mount Royal Elementary and Middle School, offering free hair tutorials and support for families in need. When she was asked to serve more than 30 children in a single visit, Moore knew she needed help.
Local beauty supply stores stepped in with donated products, while Target and Costco provided gift cards and food. Moore says the generosity reminded her of her own childhood.
“My house was always filled with a bunch of children, my mom feeding the whole neighborhood. I just think we got away from that as time has went on and no one's caring about one another,” Moore said.
Now, Moore is working to launch Crownivity Mobile Salon a project that would bring free haircuts, hygiene kits, and confidence-building programs directly to schools across Baltimore City and beyond. The goal is to raise $250,000 to get the mobile salon rolling.
“So they can focus on what their skills are, what their strengths are, what their talents are and not worry about if they're going to get picked on before or after school or get into a fight because they don't look like everyone else,” Moore said.
Moore is also partnering with her alma mater, Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School, to help provide some of these services.
"We know that there is a need and that children are suffering in silence and parents are suffering too because they can't get their kids back to school," Moore said.
The Crown Project is hosting its first free public event at Mount Royal Elementary and Middle School on October 16, offering free hair services for students.
For more information, or to donate, contact crown@crownitivity.org
