The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

It is important to help essential workers, especially those with very physical jobs, continue to work for their communities. These workers are very susceptible to repetitive stress injury. Massage therapists are considered healthcare workers and therapy is essential to many people for their health and well-being.

The survival of the independent beauty professionals is at risk. We are facing a grave financial hardship.

President Trump has halted US funding of the World Health Organization (WHO) as he blames them for the spread of COVID-19. As cases top 2 million and deaths are climbing, now is not the time to pull funding from this organization that serves citizens all over the globe. There will be time after we have a handle on this crisis, to review the WHO's performance and make corrections for the future. In the meantime, the President, by pulling funds, is endangering our lives and those of our global community.

Independent Beauty Professionals rely on income from clients. We cannot perform salon services online. While the Beauty Industry is deemed “non essential”, the ability to practice our craft is very essential to our livelihood. We are facing grave financial hardship. Our services are also essential to our clients’ mental and emotional health as a form of self care. Salon professionals, this is a great resource for health/safety tips once allowed to reopen: salontoday.com/623817/reopening-how-to-move-forward-safely

Labeling Salons workers as “non essential” and forcibly closing salons has created financial hardship on many individuals, whom many are self employed and not eligible for current Unemployment Benefits.

For the past two months, North Carolina officials have been quickly mobilizing to protect the general public from the spread of coronavirus. Local businesses have been shut down, court proceedings have been suspended for 30 days and public schools will be closed until early May. More recently, Governor Roy Cooper issued a stay-at-home order to prevent human suffering and the loss of life. However, missing in all of these announcements is a plan that will protect one of the most vulnerable populations in North Carolina - North Carolinians locked away in county jails and state prisons. All available public health guidelines recommend social distancing and vigilant hygiene as the primary tools to combat the spread of COVID-19. However, these directives are impossible to follow with thousands of people currently housed inside county jails and state prisons. Oftentimes, these facilities are closed and unsanitary environments that present the highest risk of illness from COVID-19. By their very nature, prisons preclude appropriate prevention measures. Public officials have DAYS, not weeks, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Releasing as many people as possible from cages and stopping the flow of people into them is the best way to do it.

Mitch McConnell wants to force cities and states into bankruptcy instead of providing local governments with the resources and support we need during this global crisis. This idea threatens services Americans rely on everyday including schools, hospitals, essential services that keep our communities safe and clean and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Even members of his own party have called his plan “shameful and indefensible.” We can’t let Mitch McConnell destroy cities and states across the country – we must act to protect the well-being of our states if we’re going to survive as a nation.

Plastic bottles and bottle caps are the third and fourth most collected plastic trash in the Ocean Conservancy’s annual beach cleanups in 100 countries. Globally, more than a million plastic bottles are sold every single minute. In the U.S., only 30% of these bottles are recycled. In 2016 fewer than half the bottles bought worldwide were collected for recycling. (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/plastic-bottles/) Because plastics are notoriously difficult to recycle for reuse, enormous efforts are being poured into finding ways to help break down plastics for recycling. A more impactful action would be to stop producing plastic packaging in the first place. If it's not produced, it can't pollute. More sustainable packaging alternatives (aluminum, glass) and even biodegradable solutions (bottles made from recycled paper; cans made from Poly-Lactic Acid (PLA) – a starch material extracted from corn -- which can become soil after 180 days in a commercial compost system) are available. (https://earth911.com/living-well-being/recycled-beverage-containers/) https://earth911.com/living-well-being/recycled-beverage-containers/) (https://www.ecoproducts.com/polylactic_acid_pla.html). Consumers care about our environment, and demand action to reduce the plastic pollution that is harming it. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestle: Be responsible corporate citizens and stop harming our environment. Change your packaging to non-plastic, sustainable options.