KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Doing your hair and learning what works can be a difficult process, and Dream of Kalamazoo Hair Salon hopes to make the process easier.
“I remember looking at some pictures where my braids were sticking up, and I will go to school and get bullied. And in return, I would bully others because I didn’t feel good about me,” said Lalonie Willhite, founder of Dream of Kalamazoo.
It’s not that Willhite hated the texture of her hair; she just didn’t know how to do it as a child.
“I went through eight foster homes growing up as a child. So going through the different homes, I would live with different nationalities and different cultures,” she told FOX 17.
Jumping from home to home, Willhite said she didn’t always feel the best because she didn’t look her best. When she got older, that became a catalyst for launching Dream of Kalamazoo, a foundation where adopted and foster kids can get their hair done for free.
“A lot of times, the families are racially diverse. And so a lot of the parents don't really know what to do with their children's hair. Some of them know the basics. But as far as, like, the braiding, the twisting, they don't really know too much about, you know, what to do,” she said.
All textured hair is not the same — it can be kinky, curly, thick or fine; however, if your child’s hair is different than yours, it can be hard to navigate.
“We adopted Camryn when she was 5 days old. And probably around 6 months, I started noticing that her hair needed a little bit more care that I wasn't sure how to take care of,” Mary-Kate Norman told FOX 17.
Dream of Kalamazoo not only cares for children’s hair, but they also teach parents how to do so. For Norman, learning how to do Camryn’s hair means everything.
“There's no judgment of where I come from, and it's just like ... we're starting from ground zero; I'm gonna teach you how to do it. And, to me, that's an awesome gift just to be able to give that back to Camryn,” she said, adding that caring for her daughter's hair now will help instill confidence as she grows up.
Since receiving help, Norman has learned how to blow-dry her daughter’s hair and keep it moisturized with the right products to avoid breakage or a dry scalp.
Dream of Kalamazoo partners with multiple salons around southwest Michigan. For more information on the services they provide, click here.
The Dream of Kalamazoo Foundation is hosting an inaugural Sunday Fun Day fundraiser on Aug. 20 at Milham Park. If you'd like to donate or get more information, head to the Dream of Kalamazoo Foundation Facebook page.
