2012 has been a year of growth and change for us at HairFlair for Hope.  As we turn our energy towards the holidays, we are thankful for having been able to steer our organization forward and introduce it to new audiences and participants, with the help of our community of volunteers and friends.  We’d love to share some of this year’s highlights with you:

• Nonprofit Status: Our application for 501(c)(3) charity status is currently being reviewed by the I.R.S.  We await news of a favorable outcome that will put us in a position to grow our reach by improving our eligibility for new funding opportunities.

• Makers and Doers: We held several wig-making workshops at high
  

  Student volunteers from Trinity College pose with their creations.

  school and college campuses in the DC area, including Trinity College and the University of Maryland.  Many enthusiastic student volunteers helped us build our wig inventory in a fun and high-energy environment.   We value our time with these students and love the round-table discussions we have with them about health awareness.

   

• 

  Lisa Hood, with her son, plans to wear her new wig when she preaches to the youth group at Buffalo Baptist Church.

  Connecting with Clients: We continued to work with George Washington University’s hospital, where chemotherapy patients customized their own wigs by adding their own personal touches.  We also mailed wigs to applicants around the country.

   

• New Friends at Figment: In September, we took part in the first annual Figment DC participatory art festival.  We brought several ‘demo’ wigs and staged a photo shoot with the festival’s participants to help grow awareness for our cause. Over 200 people had fun posing in HairFlair wigs and told us what they thought when they first looked into a mirror.  Were you there? If so, we invite you to tag yourself in the gallery we’ve posted on Facebook.

• A new DC home: Although it is too early for a ribbon-cutting, HairFlair for Hope is soon to have a workshop space in the heart of the District of Columbia.  With a convenient location and secure storage for our supplies, this is a dream come true.

• 

  Give a holiday gift you can feel good about.

  Give the gift of HOPE: Looking for a gift this holiday season? Please consider purchasing one of our fabulous handcrafted flower hair accessories (which can double as a brooch with its copper-tone pin-back) for just $25. ALL PROCEEDS go directly to Hair-Flair for Hope.
  Purchasing is simple…  Send a $28 payment via Paypal (includes shipping) and will mail one out within 3 days. While we cannot guarantee your exact choice,  please let us know if you would prefer: A)Pink/burgundy  purple; C) Blue; D) Red; E) White/black/silver; or E) neutrals (browns,tan,camel).

Just as HairFlair wigs brings a smile to the face of patients, doctors, friends and families going through a difficult time, we hope our year-end news has brightened your day.  We encourage you to stay in touch with us through our  Facebook or Twitter(@HairFlairforHope).  And if you like what we post, please share with others and add us to your Facebook Interests lists.

You, our friends, are our best ambassadors and can help us spread our message further.  Do you feel moved by what we do or know know someone who does? Would you like to do more? We are currently looking to recruit new energetic members to become an integral part of our organization and would love to hear from you.

If you have room in your personal giving this year, HairFlair for Hope is always appreciative of monetary gifts or in-kind resources that contribute to the excellence of our mission and keep our overhead down. For in-kind donations, gift cards for Staples, Best Buy, JoAnns, Michaels and AC Moore are a convenient option.  For more information, please visit our giving page or contact us directly at info@hairflairforhope.org.

May you have a wonderful and joyful holiday season.

Yours with warmth,

HairFlair for Hope Board of Directors
Sherri Sosslau, Linda Vene, Kimberly Huey, Nora Lockshin and Katie Desmond

This holiday season, consider purchasing one of our gorgeous handcrafted flower hair accessories (which can double as a brooch) for just $25 plus shipping. Feel doubly good about gifting this flower adornment knowing that one hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to HairFlair for Hope.

Both the materials and the labor were lovingly donated by crochet-extraordinaire Linda Vene.

Holiday gifting through HairFlair for Hope helps give the gift of hope to someone with hair-loss.

“I wear my wig all the time, to bowling and of course to my oncology appointments. Wearing my wig from HairFlair is a lot of fun.”  – Genny

HairFlair for Hope was thrilled to make one of its dreams a reality last week when we brought a wigmaking workshop DIRECTLY to the chemotherapy patients at G.W. University’s Oncology Center.

Over the past two years, our focus has been on our two core programs:  wigmaking workshops and wig distribution. Today, we offer a third program that allows the folks that will be wearing our wigs to have some say in the design.  Last Friday, we coached women through the customization of their very own wigs and we watched as the women gave their new wigs the personality that best suits them.

The  women were delighted to not just receive a new wig but to be a part of the creative process.  With their customized HairFlair wig, they can now express to the world who they are and how they feel.  One client described how happy it makes her feel to have a fun alter-ego when she wears her new wig. Here are a few photos of the wig transformation process: 

Deborah customizes her new wig	Deborah Pinkerton's new alter-ego
Lisa wanted blue highlights 	Lisa Hood, with her son Michael

The celebration of the holiday season invites reflection and the setting of new intentions for the upcoming year. As we reflect on 2011, we are filled with gratitude for all of our supporters and volunteers and for the tremendous progress we have made with their help.  This has been an exciting year of growth and we want to share a few highlights with you.   In our first year of incorporation, we have: 

Formalized our organization

Wig-making Workshop at Trinity College

It’s official!  In January, we filed for incorporation.  Soon after, we formed a passionate team of board officers and committees who created a strategic plan for our growth in the coming years.  

Partnered with DC schools:

We teamed up with DC schools to engage students in a meaningful community service project.

Introduced a new program

We initiated our Almost-there! Wigmaking Program, where volunteers partially complete wigs to later be personalized by the women and children undergoing chemotherapy.  

Designed a neutral wig series

We created a new line of natural color wigs, to add to our vibrant color palette, for our adult clients looking for a unique look in a flattering, neutral tone.  

Expanded our reach

We are now giving wigs directly to applicants who found us via word-of-mouth, Facebook and our website, indicating that our reach is spreading beyond our previous hospital-centered programs.  

In other exciting news: 

Kate Pierson, of The B-52s, showed her support for HFfH by modeling HairFlair wigs.

Kate Pierson of The B-52s

• HFfH launched its first fundraising campaign with StartSomeGood, which raised our visibility to new audiences and earned much needed financial support.   We thank our Founding Supporters for their support and have recognized them on the Honor Wall of our website located at:  http://hairflairforhope.org/?page_id=559. 
• The Hope Operas, a theater based charity project, raised funds for HairFlair for Hope. 

Moving into the new year, we have big plans on our agenda which include: 

• Filing for official IRS nonprofit status (501(c)3) which we hope to receive in 2012.
• Expanding our Wigmaking-in-School program by bringing our crafty workshops to more schools, to help more students reach their community service hour goals.
• Bringing our Almost There! wigs and workshops to local cancer treatment centers. 

As we move forward with our plans, we are also reminded of the importance of our services.  Sadly, we learned of new cancer diagnoses in our own community which only reinforced our mission.  Our dear friend Crystal, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, had this to say about her involvement with HairFlair for Hope:  “When HairFlair for Hope started making whimsical and vibrant colored fantasy wigs, I thought it was a wonderful way to bring some joy to women and children dealing with the trauma of hair loss and I became a financial supporter and volunteer.  I never thought that one day I too would need their help.   Recently, I went to buy a wig for myself and found the selection to be quite limiting.  I ended up with a wig that was the closest to my natural red hair, but still looked pretty ugly. I was comforted to know that I could also have a wig from HairFlair for Hope to wear when I want to have fun.”

If you would like to further our cause of improving self-esteem and bringing joy to persons facing the indignity of hair loss, we hope you will consider HairFlair for Hope in your end of year giving plan this holiday season.  We can use your support in any of the following ways: 

• Make a financial donation to HairFlair for Hope.  Contributions can be sent via Paypal to donate@hairflairforhope.org or by check (made payable to HairFlair for Hope, Inc.) to Sherri Sosslau, C/O HairFlair for Hope, at P.O. Box 7660, Washington, DC 20044-7660.
• Suggest a sponsor or host site for future wig-making workshops, such as a high school, Girl Scout Troop or local business.
• Share your expertise, including the much needed skills in fundraising, accounting, legal, knitting, crocheting, graphic design and/or web design. 
• Connect HFfH to press opportunities to help us expand our reach in 2012.
• Donate yarn, by de-stashing your fabulous yarns for a great cause.  We are currently accepting bulky yarns (homespun, boucle, chenille, etc…) and novelty yarns (sparkly, fluffy, pizazzy). 
• Spread the word about HFfH on your blog or Facebook Wall and visit us on Facebook, Twitter (HairFlair4Hope) and our website at www.hairflairforhope.org.

At the close of our first year, we feel blessed by the support we’ve received and the growth we’ve made thus far with our team of volunteer superstars.  We look forward to sharing more successes with you in the future as we move upward and onward.   We wish you the very best during this seasonal time of thankfulness and gratitude.

Your friends at HairFlair for Hope

In support of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, we are giving away 5 fabulous, funky, far-out pink wigs to adults and children undergoing chemotherapy. It is our mission to serve people undergoing hair loss and we want to do something special to raise visibility for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in honor of our dear friend and supporter, Crystal, who recently discovered that she has breast cancer.

Crystal, a donor and a volunteer, has spent many hours creating one-of-a-kind creations for others in need. “I had always admired the whimsical look of vibrant and beautiful hair fall attachments. When HairFlair for Hope started making fantasy wigs, I thought it was a wonderful way to bring some joy to women and children dealing with the trauma of hair loss and I became a financial supporter. I never thought that one day I too would need HFfH’s help,” Crystal explains.

Crystal is currently recovering from breast cancer surgery and undergoing chemotherapy. “Friday was a really hard day. I went to buy a wig for my impending hair loss. Although this wig shop came highly recommended, their selection was quite limited. I ended up with a wig that was the closest to my natural red hair, but still looked pretty ugly. I was comforted that I could also have a wig from HairFlair for Hope when I wanted to have fun and feel more like myself with my friends.”

Not your “every day wig,” HairFlair wigs offer the wearer a dose of fun and creativity. These unique wigs boost the esteem of women and children who wear them for fun. HairFlair for Hope seeks to spread joy to folks who need it the most: those who do not wear wigs just for kicks. While some folks who lose their hair to illness might not wish to call attention to their situation every day, HairFlair is for those days when they wish to take ownership of their challenging situation by adding a dose of therapeutic play and fantasy. We are always on the lookout for volunteers of all ages who love knitting, crocheting, and crafting.

If you or someone you love, has recently gone through medical hair-loss and wish to receive the gift of a free handmade wig, please submit an application by November 15. We have 5 pink wigs to give in honor and celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but we are always accepting applications from people in need.

Please apply here: http://hairflairforhope.org/?page_id=48