Two days before the year’s biggest celebration of love, one group of individuals decided to show love to the homeless.
Saturday morning, 110 volunteers flocked to Bo Diddley Community Plaza to treat the homeless community to a special Valentine’s Day present of makeovers, haircuts, professional pictures, food, clothing and games.
The celebration lasted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and between 150 and 170 homeless people attended, said Jennifer Smith, who planned the event.
Smith wanted to make sure the homeless knew they were loved, too.
She said her message to the homeless was simple.
“You’re beautiful, you are accepted and you are loved,” she said.
Smith was homeless for eight years of her life and said she knew many of the individuals she was serving. She said she hoped the event would brighten up Valentine’s Day for those who attended.
“We’re going to try to make it special for them,” she said. “It gets lonely on the streets.”
The homeless were invited to participate in various services Smith and the group offered.
The makeover station consisted of five chairs lined up in front of a table decked with products ranging from L’Oreal to Mary Kay.
The homeless were free to sit while someone trimmed their hair and offered different beauty products for other needs.
After a makeover, they had the choice of being professionally photographed. Several background choices and flowers were provided.
Volunteers interacted with the homeless by playing Connect Four, hula-hooping, throwing a Frisbee and offering to help them select free clothing and jewelry from a table of donated material.
UF sophomore Christa Goad said her decision to volunteer at the event was simple.
“We can bless because we’ve been blessed,” she said.
