Students make a difference at Stand Down
Cosmetology, barber, and nail technician students from Manatee Technical Institute gave 86 haircuts and 37 manicures to participants in the Stand Down for Veterans and the homeless on Saturday at the Manatee County Fairgrounds.
“It’s important to give back,” said 28-year-old barber student Yamson Foy. Foy is a U.S. Army Veteran who served in Qatar and Korea. Two of the haircuts he gave that day were to fellow veterans.
One of the homeless attendees, Chester Baker, who received a haircut said it was the first time he let someone else cut his hair in 10 years. He said his wife usually cuts it.
Fifty students from MTI volunteered at the event. The students volunteered their time and talent as a community service project for SkillsUSA. Three instructors also volunteered their time.
SkillsUSA is a career and technical student organization that promotes excellence, employability skills, and ethics to students in career and technical education to better prepare them for successful careers.