LEXINGTON, Ky. — Project Ricochet is a beauty and wellness initiative that aims to make health services more accessible to the local community.
What you need to know: Lexington nonprofit Project Ricochet is implementing a public health initiative for barbershops and hair salons
This is a collaboration between the nonprofit and several barbershops and salons to spread important information about health services.
The nonprofit held the grand opening of its new Health Promotion and Education Center on Sept. 21 inside Cultural Cuts Barbershop.
People will be able to receive free medical services, including testing and vaccinations, every Monday.
Several barbershops and hair salons in Lexington are participating in the nonprofit Barbershop and Hair Salon Public Health Initiative.
“We decided to come together and do two things: improve their health and give them the resources, the tools and the phone numbers to provide that for themselves and their families,” said Tony Burdette, master barber for the effort.
Project Ricochet celebrated the grand opening of its Health Promotion and Education Center on September 21st at Cultural Cuts Barbershop.
At Project Ricochet’s new Health Promotion and Education Center at Cultural Katz Barbershop, people can receive basic services such as health screenings and vaccinations. (Spectrum News 1/Geraldine Torrelas)
“This is an underserved area,” said Quinton Marks with Project Ricochet. “There aren’t a lot of clinics in the area, so this is a great corridor. Georgetown Street is a historically African-American area that connects to Newtown Pike, so this is a focal point.”
People will be able to receive free health services, including testing and vaccinations. Rashida Thompson, owner of Rashida’s House of Style and Cultural Cuts, said this is the first time in Kentucky that a health clinic will open in a barbershop.
“Being able to come here and get tested for anything, get your blood pressure taken, get vaccinated if you need to, it’s just a great thing in this community, especially in this day and age,” said Damon Franklin, a barber at Cultural Cuts. “Not (everyone) has access to it.”
The clinic will be open to the public on Monday from noon to 3 p.m.. Project Ricochet partners with organizations including Anthem Medicaid, Bluegrass Community Health and the Fayette County Health Department to provide a variety of services.
