You know what’s important to us? Community, volunteerism, empowering girls, and SWEET SWEET ADRENALINE, BRO.
Here at Ginger, each employee is required to volunteer once a year. We already strive to do important, humanity-awareness-centric things inside of our salons, but our community extends far beyond our doors. Sometimes it requires us to roll up our sleeves and get out there. Pick up some trash, plant a few trees, feed a hungry neighbor, or, in the case of our wonderful front desk guy/all around rockstar Darran McLaggan, rappel off a Portland building to raise money for Girls, Inc.
Inspired by a client, Darren did a little research on Rappel For Her and Girls, Inc. He liked what he found; they help girls, ages 6-18, rise above the challenges they face every day. With programs based on research, they work to instill confidence and give girls the tools they need by teaching healthy living and leadership, introducing them to STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, math), and challenging them to be bold by presenting them with opportunities to get out of their comfort zone. They also don’t shy away from politics, organizing efforts to ensure that civil rights protections and access to education and healthcare — especially when it comes to mental health and reproductive health — remain in place in this unstable little political climate of ours.
In short, it's our kind of nonprofit.
Darren hopes to raise $1,250 by July 15 — if he meets this goal, he’ll be rappelling down a building in NW Portland that same day.
Why rappelling? Well, besides the obvious (it’s fun), it’s also an especially attention-grabbing way to spread the word. As Darren puts it, “If you’re walking around and see people rappel off a building, you’d probably ask what was going on. It gets the word out a little bit more in a memorable way.”
And, since this is also a good opportunity to learn more about Darren, we asked him a few questions. We’re pretty sure most of y’all coming into the NE location have talked to him at one point or another; here’s a little primer on one of the most important members of our Ginger fam.
When did you join the team at Ginger?
A little over two years ago.
What do you love about working here, from big-picture stuff to everyday stuff?
I love working for Ginger Salon because of the environment Deanna has created and how much she cares about us and wants us to succeed in our own personal lives.
What is your favorite hair trend? What needs to go away? What should come back?
My favorite hair trend will always be really platinum blonde hair. BOX DYE needs to go. I would love to see more big curly hair like Julia Roberts in the late 80s-early 90s.
Describe yourself in a GIF, any GIF.
or...
CLICK HERE to support Darren's effort and donate to this mega-worthy cause, so we can all wear fur coats (maybe) and cheer on him on July 15th!