ROME, N.Y. — Dozens of Rome children will return to school this fall with new school supplies and fresh haircuts thanks to a recent event by the NAACP Rome Branch that was funded, in part, by National Grid.

More than 140 children visited King of Cuts Barber Shop on North James Street for the NAACP’s second annual back-to-school haircut event. Barbers and hairstylists donated their time and services to provide haircuts to young adults, building self-esteem and preparing them for the rigors of the upcoming academic season. King of Cuts also provided hair care classes teaching participants how to style and maintain their hair based on their racial and traditional ethnic background. They also received free supplies to assist with that task.

“There are so many economically-challenged families who have difficulties getting their children ready to go back to school,” said Jacqueline Nelson, president of the NAACP Rome NY Branch. “Helping families with just a little relief is rewarding to us and our partners.”

By spreading the event over two days, Nelson hopes that they can reach more children with the event. In addition to haircuts and hair classes, each student will receive a backpack filled with school supplies for the new school year.

“Going back to school means seeing your friends and peers, meeting your new teachers and getting back into our daily learning and social routines,” said Alberto Bianchetti, National Grid’s regional director of customer and community engagement. “New haircuts and a new backpack full of supplies can help relieve some of the anxieties for kids and parents that comes along with going back to school and sets them up for success in the new year.”

National Grid’s support for the event aligns with its Project C initiative, the company’s commitment to improve the communities it serves and fulfills multiple pillars of its promise: neighborhood development and community investment, environmental justice and social equity, and workforce development.

Nelson said, “The grant from National Grid did two major things. It helped us make it bigger so that we can reach more families and buy more supplies while offering the hair care class to girls and providing them with glam bags with hair care supplies.

“The children who participated will go back to school with confidence.”

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.