The Love Center is an organization based in the Chapel Hill 7th and 8th Grade Center that turns frowns upside down.

This organization is for students who come to school sad and insecure about the way their hair looks. This is to help students build their confidence and feel excellent about themselves and their hair.

This organization is not just for girls, but for boys, too. The Love Center has two hairstylists who donate their time and resources to provide free services to students. And they are currently trying to find a barber to be a part of the organization.

People visit the love center to get their hair re-braided, have their hair combed out, or simply to do their edges. So many students have come to the love center and loved the results they got.

The two amazing people and hairstylists who run this organization are Business teacher and cheer coach, Megan Walker, and school substitute and cheer coach, Na’Tasha Pepper. They both work together to make an impact on students every day, and they both make an intentional effort to keep students smiling in every way.

Megan Walker started the Love Center and spent time talking about what it means to her.

Q: What was your inspiration to start the Love Center? 

A: “Well, one day there was a student who came to school without her hair done and was having a meltdown in the bathroom, and she didn’t know what to do. She had some braiding hair in her book bag because someone else was supposed to do it, but they didn’t. Two students witnessed her melting down in the bathroom. So they went to tell a teacher, and that teacher came and found me and asked if there was anything I could do to help her out.” 

Q: So it seemed you were able to help her, but how did you make it work in that moment with your busy schedule? 

A: “I literally stopped what I was doing and called for someone to cover my class. And I happened to have braiding gel and a comb in my purse that day. So while someone was covering my class, I took the student to the teachers’ lounge and I used her braing hair from her book bag and gave her about 5-6 cornrows to the back.”

Q: So when you provide this service for students, what kind of impact do you feel it has on them? 

A: “I can say that the joy on their faces is priceless. They are usually very thankful and grateful, and leave the chair with huge smiles. Their confidence is instantly boosted, and they go on to have a better day. It makes me feel really good to be able to provide this free and confidential service for them, so I’m impacted every time as well. “

If you would like to donate to the Love Center, you can contact Walker at [email protected] or 317-988-8974.