Sometimes, it really does take a village to raise a child. With the way the world has been over the last few years, moms are always looking for safe and caring resources to help them with child care. Brittany Starks might not have realized it at the time, but she provided a service that proved that moms truly have the biggest hearts.
Brittany is a single mom of two. As a Black parent, she knows how tough it can be to make sure her kids have hair that's school-ready. And that can often be time-consuming. So she knew it might be a good idea to offer her braiding services to her community. Even sweeter, she offered her time for free.
She initially posted in the Hip Antioch group on Facebook, which has over 35,000 members. Her message got a ton of responses.
"Anyone know single parents who can’t afford to get their child's hair done for school? I will braid it for free!" she wrote back in August. "Please DM me." Soon after, she realized that the response was so overwhelming that she needed to add an update.
"Update: I have over 30 kids," she wrote. "I need help braiding. Does anyone have a space all these braiders can use? Due to the amount of children and braiders there is not enough space." The post itself had 155 comments and 259 shares, proving that this was a service that was desperately needed.
Brittany knows firsthand how stressful back-to-school season can be for moms — especially single moms. She currently works three jobs and knows what it's like to work hard yet still be struggling. And that understanding helped her realize that a small task could mean so much for parents who were in a bind.
Even the comments she's received on Instagram have been overwhelmingly kind and positive. "I don't know you, but you've restored my faith in humanity and in the Black community by showing your love for it," Instagram user roammary wrote. "Thank you so much, Queen, for taking the time and energy to help out these babies and their mothers. I'm working on manifesting money for myself, but if we ever met, and you need work done on your car, house, whatever, and it's possible for me to take care of it for you free of charge, it will be an honor to be of service to you."
While it was a beautiful gesture, Brittany admitted to NPR that she wasn't necessarily prepared for so many kids — just as she stated in the update. But the number of children in need didn't force her to rescind her offer.
"I thought it was going to be five to seven kids, but it ended up being 35 kids," she said.
She admitted that since making that post, she's lost track of how much hair she's braided. "It's been very hard," she said. "I haven't gotten any sleep. I've been extremely tired, but it's very worth it. I feel like I'm doing it for a good cause."
When a child's hair is braided, it makes going to school a lot easier. They save plenty of time in the morning and will likely have a boost of confidence due to the intricate and beautiful style. As she's braided, Brittany has heard plenty of stories from other moms who've had troublesome years. This service is something everyone can feel good about.
The service became so big that people in the community urged Brittany to start a GoFundMe page. The GoFundMe was meant to help offset the cost of supplies needed for braiding hair. It was something Brittany was hesitant to do at first, but of course, the community had no issue lending a hand the same way she did.
"This became very expensive but God made it happen!" she wrote. "I still have children in Nashville that need their hair braided for school and we still need supplies. This money will go towards supplies, money for the braiders, insurance, a space to braid, and for a building."
The GoFundMe was a smashing success, raising over $21,000. The more people hear about Brittany's mission, the more money gets donated. What started out as a simple Facebook post in a community group turned into so much more. And for Brittany, it's all worth it.
"Some kids, they came in, they weren't smiling, they weren't talking, and then, you know, as they get their hair braided, they start opening up a little more and then when they're done, they're just smiling and so happy," she told NPR. "It's a great thing to see. When your hair is cute, I just feel like you feel so much better about everything."
