MANCHESTER, NH – A few years ago, I wrote the story “Beauty school drop out” about the abandoned Michael’s hair school, a notorious municipal eyesore next to the SNHU arena. Maybe one day that building will have a new purpose beyond the sanctuary it provides for invasive bittersweet vines.
Today, I want to turn my attention to another hair salon in Manchester and the hero who runs it: Tia Ellie of Tia’s Salon U on Pearl Street.
Like many small business owners in downtown Manchester, Tia’s storefront is right at street level. This means that after she locks up for the day, someone looking for shelter will often set up camp in her doorway. While many downtown business owners complain about the unhoused population, hairdresser Tia Ellie has adopted a radically different approach: Acts of Kindness NH. This hairdresser is not just a successful entrepreneur; she is a vital pillar of our community’s compassion.
The Heart of the Salon: Acts of Kindness
Tia’s Salon U is home to a robust food pantry, the physical extension of her non-profit, Acts of Kindness.
I first met Tia earlier this year, in of all places, an ear acupuncture certification training at Hope for NH Recovery. Most people training as Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists (ADS) are nurses, drug counselors, or social workers. Tia was our first hairdresser to take the training.
The more I talked to her, the more impressed I became by her initiatives. I can only describe what Tia does as accompaniment. “I sit with people while they fill out housing applications or I help people get into rehab. I give people what I never got,” she explains.
Her commitment is hands-on and year-round. Before the recent snowstorm, Tia and her partner, Fadzai Gowo, were out handing out jackets donated by Service Credit Union. During the warmer months, Tia was providing pop-up ear acupuncture clinics in the park, along with passing out snacks and water to those in need.
A Community of Compassion
Tia is not alone in her work; she is part of a growing network of compassionate Manchester residents. There are others who are doing their part to provide comfort for those who are unhoused or food insecure, like Secretary.
Secretary (the name she went by when she lived at the former FIT/New Horizons Shelter) is 41 and disabled. She prepares large casseroles to feed others with the food she gets from local food pantries. “I would do more of this,” says Secretary, “if I could get some local restaurants to donate food containers or at least purchase the containers at cost and sell them to me for no additional mark up.”
Secretary is connected with New Hampshire’s Mutual Aid Relief Fund (NHMARF), a volunteer-run non-profit that runs weekly free stores in Veteran’s Park every Sunday from 1-2 p.m. They offer free snacks, water, hand warmers, and other items collected from donation drop-off points at Double Midnight Comics and Electric Avenue Tattoo.
When the recent government shutdown began, SNAP recipients and federal workers were put in very vulnerable positions, and the amount of people asking for help in local Manchester Facebook groups started to rise. The lines for mobile food pantries were longer than ever. Secretary shared that she hasn’t been to a grocery store in a while; she gets by on donations from food pantries and shares what she receives with others.
Secretary has been in contact with Tia at Acts of Kindness for pantry staples that she can use to cook for others. Acts of Kindness is specifically looking for ready-to-eat items and canned goods with pop top lids. Other donations that require kitchens to prepare them are perfect for someone like Secretary who has time to cook for others when she has the energy.