Volunteers made sure more than 40 girls felt confident for their first day of school. Metro Arts supplied the biscuits, and volunteer braiders supplied the labor.
This was the second year volunteers held a braid-a-thon, but this year, it came with a twist. Biscuits and Braids is an event that makes sure girls who may not have the funds to get their hair done for the first day of school are able to walk into school with a new look.
Ten volunteer braiders did more than 40 girls' hair for the start of the school year. Metro Arts volunteers supplied the sweet potato biscuits and cooked them in a portable wood fire oven.
Volunteers said it's all about giving back.
"A lot of young children, sometimes their mothers cannot afford to get their hair done. Some just come for the camaraderie. It’s important to help their self-esteem, and everybody wants to look good," said Nella Pearl Frierson, of Brooklyn Heights Community Garden.
The women did not take breaks to make sure they could get to all of the girls. Often, these hairstyles can take hours.
