The Professional Beauty Association has put out a call for donations to its Disaster Relief Fund to help thousands of salon and spa professionals hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“We have been without running water or electricity for 5 days now," wrote one beauty professional to DRF in a request for assistance after Helene. "We don’t know when our power will be turned back on. Half of our city is underwater.”
Donations have started coming in to distribute to hurricane survivors, with SalonCentric and L'Oréal leading the way with $15K commitments each. However, the PBA is bracing for many more applications from industry professionals who haven't yet had the chance to apply.
“We expect (applications) to grow significantly as power and cell service are restored," says Rachel Molepske, PBA's Director of Leadership Operations & Charitable Programs. "We are making an urgent plea for donations to help those affected.”
Category 4 Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Gulf Coast on Sept. 26, bringing a record-breaking 15-ft. storm surge and total destruction for more than 500 miles from Florida to the southern Appalachians.
The storm caused at least 130 deaths as floodwaters washed away roads, homes, buildings, and vehicles, decimating communications infrastructure.
This week, Milton slammed into central Florida as a category 3 storm, crippling a region still reeling from Helene's destruction, destroying thousands of homes and buildings and leaving millions without power.
"They are saying it could be 2-3 weeks before we even have water," a salon professional told the DRF in a request for aid. "The roads are blocked and we can't leave."
Though it's the type of emergency the PBA's charitable fund was created in 1955 to alleviate, "we received an unprecedented number of applications for assistance from professionals across all sectors of the beauty industry,” Molepske says. "Donations of any size are appreciated and needed."
The PBA Disaster Relief Fund has distributed more than $2 million to help beauty industry workers get back on their feet following catastrophic disaster. 100 percent of donations to the fund go directly to those in need.
"This has been a complete devastation," said a salon owner in an application to DRF. "I have no idea when clients will be able to safely return, and I still have to somehow figure out how to pay rent. My heart is broken."
Editor's Note: The original article has been updated to include information about Hurricane Milton.