Special to The Truth
The ProMedica Back-to-School Barbershop program took place on August 13, 14 and 15 at three local shops – Groomed at 4145 Monroe Street; DaShop at 422 East Broadway and Haircuts by Fosters at 1703 West Bancroft. Free haircuts were available for school-aged youngsters. ProMedica offered health screenings, financial coaching for adults and backpacks for students.
Health & Wellness at the Barbershop Back-to-School Events August 2024
The ProMedica Back-to-School at the Barbershop program aims to address health disparities and increase health literacy in low-resource neighborhoods. Over the past eight years, they have developed a program grounded in trust, cultural humility, and consistency. The people they work with in the shops are respected community members, and their support has helped the program grow. They have learned that principles of wellness and disease prevention can start with a haircut and a conversation.
Here’s a summary of those efforts on August 13, 14 and 15.
Back-to-School at the Barbershop 2024
Education and Resources:
- Over 287 school-age children (K-12) received free back-to-school haircuts at Groomed, DaShop & Foster’s. (Victory Barbershop gave free haircuts on August 18).
- The ProMedica Ebeid Center provided outreach for financial and career pathway planning as well as wrap around services.
- Three-hundred backpacks and cinch sacks filled with school supplies were distributed.
- 350 children received a hot meal in the neighborhoods where the barbershops reside.
- Parents received educational materials in reusable bags, covering topics from cancer screenings to wellness practices from the ProMedica Cancer Institute.
Health Screenings and Services:
- ProMedica Toledo Hospital Stroke Coordinators conducted 95 blood pressure tests and eighty-five glucose tests. Referrals and educational resources were provided, including automatic BP cuffs for those with elevated readings.
- The ProMedica Ronald McDonald Pediatric Care Unit provided immunizations, eye exams, hearing tests, physicals, and other services to thirty-eight children.
- A 12-foot colon and a 12-foot brain were used for educational purposes, engaging kids and their parents in learning about colorectal cancer and stroke prevention.
Safety and Injury Prevention:
- The Pediatric Injury Prevention and Community Outreach team provided gun locks to families, aiming to reduce the risk of unintentional injuries involving firearms.
