Carol Letourneau, a 40-year hairstyling veteran and previous owner of Special Effects Salon in downtown White Bear Lake, constantly strives to make a difference in the community; she’s sponsored community sports teams and sold jewelry in her shop to benefit Haiti. And since St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church opened its Community Resource Center in 2011, she’s been lending a hand by giving free haircuts to struggling individuals on Thursdays each month.
Letourneau, a longtime parishioner of St. Andrew’s, gives a varying number of haircuts depending on the week. “It’s usually between four and eight,” she says, noting that sometimes entire families come in to the church for trims. She loves getting to know the clients, who often recognize her on the street later, and she builds relationships with repeat clients just as she does in her salon. “It’s so fun and rewarding,” she says. “The people just appreciate it so much, and I like helping people.”
