GateHouse News Service

Posted Mar 24, 2009 @ 03:53 PM

---

Verona Salon owner Glenn Gonsalves presents a check to Connie Melahoures, the president of the Volunteer Committee of the Plymouth Task Force for the Homeless and the food pantry at Christ Church. Along with $1,400 raised through a “Gifts That Make a Difference” event this winter, Verona Salon donated 70 jackets and five bins of food. For information, call Verona Salon at 508-746-7979 or visit www.VeronaSalon.com. Verona Salon is located at 89 Sandwich St.

From the Old Colony Memorial

Jeff Hetrick and Glenn Gonsalves spend most of their day making people look and feel great. Enter their salon, Verona, and you enter a little haven from the stresses of a world laboring under the weight of an economic melt down, terrorist attacks and war.

Hetrick and Gonsalves have been at this for seven years and have it down to a science. Verona patrons get a scalp massage with their hair cut, a free anti-stress hand treatment and are offered half price massages while they wait. The atmosphere is calm, only plant-based Aveda products are used and patrons breathe a sigh of relief as they climb into the chairs and submit to an hour or two that is all about them.

But outside the door of this local get-away-from-it-all the homeless struggle to find shelter from the cold and more and more go without essentials like food and fuel in this tough economy.

Verona just rounded out its first year at the 89 Sandwich St. location and Hetrick and Gonsalves decided it was time to hold a month-long event to thank their customers and help the needy.

“We’ve been hearing how tough things are and wanted to do something about it,” Hetrick said. “Today is our first anniversary in this building and we wanted to commemorate that by thanking the community for a great year.”

Verona kicks off the event at 7 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 5 when Loretta LaRoche will perform “Holiday Stress Relief” and sign her recently released book, Lose Your Fat Pants and Gain a Huge Life. Famous for her humorous books, TV performances and stress fighting workshops, Laroche is a comedienne extraordinaire who keeps audiences doubled-over, laughing for hours – something unheard of among stand-up artists.

Laroche is performing to help kick-off Verona’s month-long food and coat drive to benefit Christ Church’s food pantry and the Plymouth Task Force for the Homeless. Hetrick is asking residents who come to the show or visit the salon for a free stress reducing treatment, free Aveda gift, refreshments or Godiva hot chocolate to take food for the pantry, a gently used coat for the homeless or both. The pantry needs canned goods, peanut butter, cereals and other nonperishable foods.

Verona will also accept any monetary donations to the pantry or the taskforce.

In addition to the freebies, Verona will be selling $10 raffle tickets (three for $25) for a Head to Toe Makeover. The person holding the winning ticket will get a full spa package, dinner at The Cuisine of Mark Connolly, a Swarvoski crystal necklace and earrings from Hillary’s Bridal of Plymouth and an overnight stay Plymouth’s Hilton Garden Inn.

“Friday, Saturday and Sunday we’re inviting people to come in and meet us for a little stress relief,” Hetrick said. “Sunday, a guest artist from Aveda will be here working with people and giving skin care advice.”

But, while the kick-off is this weekend, Hetrick stressed that Verona will be gratefully accepting food, money and coat donations all month for the needy.

Verona is also announcing it will use only Aveda products from now on. This green company employs 1,282 Nepali women and men to make its paper products, has helped preserve 90,000 acres of the Himalayan Forest and sends children from 500 families to school.

Founded in 1978, Aveda’s goal is to provide salons and beauty professionals with high performance, plant-based products that are good for people and the planet. Hetrick said his customers have been asking for eco-conscious products for some time, and he and Gonsalves are happy to provide a great service that won’t harm the environment.

“What appealed to us is the products do what they say they do,” he said.