When Cranston City Councilman Robert Pelletier first heard about the oil crisis in the Gulf, he was inspired to look for ways to help. A Technical Support Leader for the Department of Administration employed at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, he immediately thought of all the hair that is thrown out each month by his employer and how easy it would be to gather it up and send it to the relief effort to be used to make oil booms.
A quick online search led Pelletier to a local salon, Beyond Grace Salon in Coventry, which was already collecting hair for the cause. He spoke with Frank Bruno, longtime contracted ACI barber, who was very enthusiastic about saving the hair from inmate cuts and giving it to Bob for the project. Councilman Pelletier then partnered with Beyond Grace and just this week received his first full bag of inmate hair to add to the salon’s next shipment.
Pelletier hopes to continue the effort through the end of September, at which time it is anticipated the oil boom will no longer be needed.