Beauty school raises cash for needy families

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

For the second year in a row, staff and student stylists at Empire Beauty School on Pleasant Street pooled their talents to raise money for families in need.

A check for $2,136 was presented to Housing Families Inc. development manager Krystle Kelly at a celebration for the beauty school’s 100th school opening. Kelly expressed her gratitude for the donation, and stressed the importance of community involvement.

 “We try to provide hope for families in crisis,” Kelly said in a statement released by the relief organization. “to be the safety net in their time of need and let them know that this is just a starting point for a new future.”

In exchange for a donation to the organization, patrons of the beauty school received styling, cuts, and manicures.

Housing Families is a 24-year-old organization that fights homelessness in Malden, Medford, and Everett. The group has served more than 1,400 families since its inception, and continues to serve more than 400 homeless and extremely low-income people every day.