Paul Mitchell Schools Fund Sister Bonnie's Entire Budget
To announce the news, Winn e-mailed Sister Bonnie a picture of several school owners holding the check, with the message: "Here is a little gift from our Paul Mitchell Schools." An astonished Sister Bonnie replied, "After two vacation days used in cleaning the house, I decided to open the e-mail. Sure glad I did—because what I found shocked me and I just gazed at the picture!!! I am so grateful and pleased! Wow! $30,000 to help us keep the ministry alive! I am deeply grateful for your generosity and thoughtfulness! You are in thoughts and prayers and I wear a big smile on my face!"
As a postscript, she added, "I do enjoy driving John Paul's 'old truck' to haul the aluminum cans to the recycling center!"
About Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart
When Sister Bonnie Steinlage, a Franciscan Sister of the Poor, heard the gospel of Ash Wednesday that read, "When you pray, wash your face and comb your hair," she felt called to provide hair care to the poor and homeless. With the permission of her order, Sister Bonnie enrolled in cosmetology school. In 1995 she opened a salon in the Cincinatti, Ohio neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine where she continues to provide professional hair care to those in need.
In 1997 Haircuts from the Heart created the Hair Care Voucher Program to serve needy clients throughout the city. Clients receive hair care vouchers from a school or social service agency and redeem them at a participating salon. Haircuts from the Heart reimburses the salon for their services at no cost to the client or social service agency.
Today, Sister Bonnie continues in her mission to nurture the dignity and self-confidence of her clients one haircut at a time.
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