Free haircuts for kids offered September 9 at City Center
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y .» Jesse White is looking to pay it forward.
Next Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Saratoga Springs City Center, children can get free haircuts, backpacks and pizza from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. in an event called Keeping Toga Fresh: Freshman Class.
White, AKA Jess Ya Barber, cut hair for the homeless in July, but this time he teamed up with the city — as well as other sponsors like Vince and Patty Riggi, Liz Jacobsen and 2West Bar & Grille — to host an event for children in the area.
“It shows great teamwork. It was clearly Jesse’s idea when he organized free haircuts for the homeless and now [ for] kids going back to school, and that’s what makes our city so special: People like Jesse who come up with ideas on how to help other people,” Mayor Joanne Yepsen said. “We have a very generous community, so when I called the City Center, the director there said ‘ yes, we’d like to be part of this,’ and they’re offering the space to hold this event; and I’m helping Jesse promote it because I think this is exactly the kind of message that really represents and describes the city of Saratoga Springs, which is a very giving and pay it forward and generous community and people help each other and people want to show love, not hate.”
White said the event isn’t about him.
“It’s about the little me’s that can’t get cuts because their mother’s man left them alone and she can only afford to get them sneakers and a couple outfits for school, or the family that has adopted, so at least they have a roof over their head they could call home, so a haircut wasn’t a necessity, food on their plates was,” said White. “Or the mother that was addicted to drugs because the custody was left to the father who worked night shifts at Price Chopper stocking shelves and only made $ 300 a week after taxes, so a haircut wasn’t a necessity. This is not about me. It’s about the little me’s.”
White was adopted at age five.
“Me being adopted is the reason why I’m here today,” said White. “... Somebody else gave me a chance. Silva and Joseph White adopted me when I was 5, because my father died and I was going through CPS and different child development homes. They took me in.”
Now, he wants to return the favor.
“I cut hair, but I was once these kids. I was able to pull out of the struggles that I had growing up. I’ve been able to pick up my career as a barber/ stylist, and God knows how many kids hair I’ve cut in the nine years I’ve been cutting hair, so now I take my career and what I can and help out those that are me when I was in that situation, and I pay it back to them and I hope it becomes contagious where it just keeps going,” said White. “... That will probably save lives because the worst thing in this world is to feel like you have nobody. Believe me.”
Aside from pizza and haircuts, there will be a bouncy house and DJ Deecorker for entertainment.
“It’s going to be the biggest party that Saratoga has ever had, and it’s going to be for kids. It’s going to be a party for kids, even though you only have one parent, or maybe you don’t have either parent,” said White. “You have people that are still going to help you out regardless. There’s people in Saratoga that will help you.”
Amy Brower, Damien Smalls, Brennan Wilson, Shana McHugh and Chloe Vickery will join White in cutting hair.
“This is a perfect example of [ Jesse] paying it forward. [ He] understands what families go through, what kids feel like that because [ he] came from there,” said Yepsen. “[ He’s] able to pay it forward because he has a talent and a skill that others need.”