Post 331 in Brownsburg delivers much-needed donation to local barbershop that provides haircuts to special-needs clients.
From its exterior, Garage 17 in Brownsburg, Ind., looks like a typical barbershop. But inside on Mondays, the shop has an important mission: providing haircuts for special needs children and adults.
Owner Freddy Niblack has set aside Mondays to provide those cuts just for that clientele, providing an atmosphere his clients may need to get through the haircut, even buying a set of special clippers that are quieter than normal ones and won’t break the skin if contact is made. Children who get a haircut at Garage 17 get a stuffed animal, as well as a gift card to a local ice cream parlor.
But when members of the post learned that Niblack is battling cancer and said he felt, in his own words, that he had “failed” his special needs clients at times, Colonel Billie J. Holmes Memorial Post 331 in Brownsburg stepped in to assist.
“One of our members, Jim Jones, knows a client who uses that facility,” Post 331 Commander Shelby Hobbs said. “And he brought it to our attention and asked us to donate some money to help the barber with these kids for haircuts. So we donated $800. After our (executive board) meeting), I got with (First Vice Commander Angel Faulkner). Last year when we did a Toys for Tots drive, one of our other members donated hundreds of stuffed animals.”
Hobbs asked Faulkner if she would reach out to Auxiliary Unit 331 member Jen Austin to see if she’d be able to donate some stuff animals to the barbershop. “And of course Jen jumped right on it,” Hobbs said. “She got us 200 (stuffed animals).”
In addition to the stuffed animals, the post ended up donating enough funds to cover 30 children’s haircuts and purchase $100 in gift cards for Mandy’s Ice Cream.
Niblack took to social media to publicly thank Post 331, sharing the following on Garage 17’s Facebook page:
“Most of you know I'm fighting cancer, and through all my treatments I've felt at times that I've failed our special needs kids and their families. I fight through treatments (radiation) 5 days a week in hopes of turning this around so I can return to Garage 17 Barbershop and my shop kids..
“The amount of love shown by the Legion today literally made my heart sing. Huge shout out to Angel and all the people at the Legion for making this happen... I won't ever forget this.”
Post 331 has a history of supporting those in its community, including sponsoring sports teams and buying the Brownsburg Police Department three motorcycles. But the relationship is symbiotic.
“We do so much for the local community. Thousands of dollars each year we donate,” Hobbs said. “We’re the third-largest post in Indiana, and what makes us so big is the response we get from our local community when we have open post nights, breakfasts that the Auxiliary does, lunches that are open to the public. It’s just amazing what the community does to support us also. The town of Brownsburg loves veterans.”
So when it comes to helping others, Post 331 doesn’t hesitate. “Why wouldn’t we? That’s what we do as veterans,” Hobbs said. “We not only help veterans and their families, but we help our community. We want our community to feel and know that in a time of need, we’re here. We’re part of the community. We live here.”
- News