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Betty Boley was volunteering at her son’s school when she noticed that some of the children could use some help with their hair. As the oldest child of seven siblings, Boley had styled and braided plenty of hair in her time, so her first thought was, “What can I do to help?” She says, “So many people have helped to get me to where I am. If I can do something for someone, I really enjoy it.”
Since taking good care of textured hair can be expensive and time-consuming, Boley wanted to find a way to help parents who were too overwhelmed or lacked the know-how. In 2014, she registered Community Hair Braiding as a nonprofit dedicated to braiding hair and teaching one-on-one classes in hair braiding technique. She opened a storefront in Eagan about three years ago, and she offers free hair braiding services to those who need it. Boley, who is looking for volunteers to help her, says the work is worth it when she sees how happy her clients are with their new looks. “You see the pride in the kids,” she says.
Community Hair Braiding, 1287 Promenade Place Suite 124, Eagan; 952.303.2518; communityhairbraiding.org
