(NewsUSA) – Many women who suffer from domestic violence feel
powerless to remove themselves from abusive relationships because
they are financially dependent on their abuser. This leads many to
stay in an unhealthy or even dangerous environment.
Empire Beauty Schools, one of the nation’s largest systems of
cosmetology schools, has created an educational assistance program
to help these women. The Empire Gives Back Endowment Program allots
money for clients of domestic violence relief organizations across
the country. The endowment will provide up to $3,000 towards
attending any Empire Education Group beauty school. The goal of the
fund is to help abuse victims afford a cosmetology education, which
can mean a path to financial independence.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of
cosmetology is projected to grow 20 percent between 2008 and 2018.
And aside from its healthy job outlook, cosmetology has proven to
be an answer for mothers who need a flexible job schedule that will
allow for their childcare needs.
“Domestic violence affects one out of every four women, and that
includes our clients and even our Empire family,” says Franklin K.
Schoeneman, CEO and Chairman of Empire Education Group. “Thanks to
our endowment program, students have come to us from many of the
women’s shelters we support around the country, and we have
witnessed first-hand how the opportunity for a cosmetology career
can change a life.”
Empire is not the only organization to embrace the concept that
cosmetology can be a solution for women who desperately need a
lifeline. Beyoncé Knowles just opened the Beyoncé Cosmetology
Center at Phoenix House, a drug and alcohol addiction-recovery
center in New York. Knowles, whose mother once ran her own salon,
said that she felt like the program needed something that was
geared towards women.
Career assistance is only one way the salon industry helps in
the fight against domestic violence. Hairstylists often share
intimate client relationships, allowing them to notice signs of
abuse that others may miss. Women usually see their hairdressers
regularly, building trust over time, and sometimes feel more
comfortable confiding in their hairdresser than family members or
friends. Empire educates students on how to inform abused clients
about where to get help.
“We’ve worked with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S.
Attorney’s Office and the Office on Violence Against Women to
launch our Empire Gives Back awareness and fundraising program, and
we are hopeful that our new endowment program will be a path to a
new career and, hopefully, a new life for women in need,” said
Schoeneman.
To learn more, visit www.empiregivesback.com.
