The United Way of Greater Hazleton organized a successful Back to School Energizer event, providing free haircuts for students in the Hazleton Area School District. Held on August 25, 2025, at the Hazleton Area Career Center, the initiative aimed to help students prepare for the upcoming school year, with classes beginning on September 2, 2025.
Community Collaboration Brings Benefits
This year’s event saw a partnership with local salons and barber shops, including The Refinery Barber Lounge and Lux and Lunar Salon. Local stylists and barbers generously volunteered their time and skills to ensure students could start the school year with confidence. Jennifer Sordoni, the Interim CEO of United Way Greater Hazleton, described the event as a “special project” that has now been running for three years.
Sordoni expressed interest in enhancing accessibility for families in future iterations of the event. She suggested that partnering with the school district for on-site haircuts could eliminate transportation barriers for families. “I think what we might look at next year is making it easier for families so they don’t have to provide the transportation,” she stated.
All students within the district were invited to make appointments for haircuts, which were promoted on social media leading up to the event. Organizers anticipated approximately 30 children would attend, with hopes of expanding this number in subsequent years.
Funding and Community Impact
The program was made possible through a grant received by the United Way, which funded the hiring of stylists and barbers for the event. Sordoni emphasized that the event is not a volunteer effort but rather a structured program designed to support families in need. “We bring the funding into the community and we run the event,” she noted.
In addition to providing haircuts, the event aims to alleviate some of the financial burdens families face when preparing their children for school. Sordoni highlighted the importance of such initiatives, stating, “This is ideal to help kids prepare for a new school year, especially if their family isn’t in a position to help as much as they’d like to.”
The Back to School Energizer event reflects the mission of the United Way of Greater Hazleton, which focuses on serving children and families in the community. Through their ongoing efforts, they strive to make education more accessible and ensure that every child has the resources necessary for a successful start to their school year.
