On Sunday, East Haven’s Trachouse Beauty Salon turned its front‑row chairs into a sanctuary for breast cancer survivors. The salon’s annual Pink Project, now in its tenth year, offered a full day of complimentary beauty services, a custom wig, a photo shoot and a brunch for Olivia Brantley, a retired Bridgeport police officer who is about to start chemotherapy.
Community Care in Action
Founded in New Haven in 2016 and now located at 39 Frontage Rd. in East Haven, Trachouse’s mission is to “strengthen and renew the mind, body, and spirit of breast cancer survivors and those undergoing active treatment through donated beauty services,” according to founder Renee Brown. Brown started the Pink Project to honor her grandmothers, both breast cancer survivors, and to address a need she sees in the community.
“You see people at their lowest and you want to help them,” Brantley told stylist Nakima Reece while her hair was being styled. “You all are doing that for me today in a different way.” The day included makeup application, a custom wig fitting, a professional photo session and a brunch surrounded by family and friends.
Addressing Real Needs
Proceeds from the salon’s related fundraising events, such as the annual Pilates in Pink day at Wellness Park, go largely toward purchasing wigs. Brown noted that Black women face the highest breast‑cancer mortality rate in the nation and that “there aren’t a lot of wigs—especially ones covered by health insurance—designed with Black hair textures in mind.” She emphasized that hair loss can feel like losing a part of one’s identity.
Beyond wigs, Brown hopes future proceeds will allow the salon to provide financial gifts to the families of participants, many of whom are mothers. “When they’re going through this battle, the family is going through it as well,” she said, noting how illness can threaten a household’s stability.
Broader Outreach
The Pink Project is part of the larger Trachouse Cares Foundation, a nonprofit arm launched in 2022. Its programs include “Period,” a partnership with Quinnipiac University medical students to educate girls about puberty, school visits that teach entrepreneurship, and a vocational‑training internship with the Chapel Haven Schleifer Center for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Participants like Tashia, a medical executive assistant from Hartford who is midway through treatment, expressed gratitude. “I’m a fighter, not a survivor,” she said, adding that the pampering made her feel good despite the challenges.
Local Support and Faith
Volunteers such as stylists Nakima Reece and Katherina Robinson gave their time freely, describing the work as an “honor and privilege.” The event’s atmosphere—filled with the scent of fresh coffee and bacon—reflected the salon’s broader goal of fostering sisterhood, public‑health literacy and female empowerment.
As Brantley looked at herself in the mirror, she exclaimed, “I look like Beyoncé.” A fellow stylist replied, “You look beautiful.” The day reminded the East Haven community that caring for the body and spirit of those battling illness is a shared responsibility rooted in faith, family and the freedom to support one another.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
