Dawn Renee Salon & Day Spa is teaming up with SHELTER, inc of Contra Costa County to offer free haircuts to Contra Costa County residents who have lost their homes and jobs due to the troubling economy.

On Monday, April 6th, from 9 am to 6 pm, Dawn Renee Salon and Day Spa will open its doors to dozens of displaced residents and offer hair cuts for men, shampoos, child care, donated food, and donated toiletries.

Salon Owner, Dawn Renee, said it was a recent episode of Oprah that inspired her. The show reported on the tent cities popping up across the country due to foreclosures. A homeless woman from a Sacramento tent community was interviewed. She had lost her cashier job and her husband was laid off from his construction job. Next thing you know, they were homeless.

The lady being interviewed said the hardest part about living in the tent city was not having her own bathroom. She missed being able to wash her face, fix her hair, put makeup on and feel pretty.

"I just starting crying," said Dawn Renee.

"I thought, how could I help these people? Then the idea to open up my salon doors and offer them the chance to feel confident and pretty came to me. A haircut may seem like a small thing, but when you are trying to schedule job interviews and find housing, a great haircut and a little TLC might give someone the confidence they need to make it happen."

Dawn Renee immediately started working on brining this idea to fruition. She found hairdressers to volunteer their time, a local dentist to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste, church groups to offer up childcare, food donations and more. She also teamed up with SHELTER, Inc. of Contra Costa County, a non-profit organization that works to help people find homes. They agreed to pass out haircut vouchers to those in need.

Resource Coordinator for SHELTER Inc, said she knew dozens of deserving individuals that could really use a day at the salon. "In Contra Costa County people are losing their homes at an alarming rate. We have so many families that need housing and not enough places to put them. I know they will benefit so much from this opportunity."

According to Dawn Renee, she felt she needed to do something and there was no way she could offer a monetary donation. (It has been a daily struggle to keep the salon doors open during these tough times.) "My talent is making people feel beautiful and I want to give it to those in need. The outpour of support has been inspiring; I want the people who have been affected by the horrible circumstances of this economy to know that the community cares about them."

Hair for Hope is still in need of donations of all kinds and volunteers. Please call 925-825-9585 to learn how you can help.

For more info on how you can receive a free haircut Contact Teri Ortez @ Shelter Inc. 925- 957-7561 www.dawnreneesalon.com