LaMarcus Mattox, a barber and FedEx driver, sits in a chair at Studio 74 Barbershop in Winder, Georgia, on Oct. 26, 2022. Mattox has been cutting hair for two and a half years, he said. (Photo/Maddy Franklin)
Since August, some students at Gaines Elementary School have been able to receive haircuts once a month for free. A program once canceled because of the pandemic has now been revived by Tamaine Jordan and Rodney Robinson, who are a part of Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens.
Together, Jordan and Robinson found a willing barber in LaMarcus Mattox whose comfortability with youth, knowledge of the Athens area and technical skills made him a prime candidate for the revamped program.
Listen on to learn how the program took shape and how the children at Gaines have reacted to it.