Livermore salon hosts holiday toy drive for foster youth

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The owners of a Livermore beauty salon are making an effort to ensure that this gift-giving holiday season is the most wonderful time of year for foster youth in the Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley.

Now through Dec. 15, D.S.A Lounge is hosting a toy drive to benefit Agape Villages Foster Family Agency which serves a large portion of Northern California with offices in San Ramon, San Leandro and Manteca.

The agency’s broad service area is part of the reason the salon owners said they chose to partner with them.

This is D.S.A Lounge’s first year taking on the initiative after hair stylist Deidra Moncada brought the idea to her business partners Ashley Brandt, an eyelash technician at the salon, and Sonia Rosales who is a barber.

“Beyond me being a parent and just having a heart, when I first started braiding I had several clients who were kids that were adopted or fostered,” Moncada told the Weekly.

She said at that time earlier in her career, she had participated in an event around Christmastime when she and other stylists and barbers held a seminar in Oakland to teach foster parents best styling practices and products to use for children with textured hair.

“From that experience and having the clients that I had, it touched me in a different way because I actually heard stories of what these kids go through and what the parents go through,” she said, adding that she’s come across some children who have bounced around in the system and have never received a gift on Christmas or had a birthday party or even a haircut.

Moncada said that they are accepting several brand-new, unused items for the drive including toys, stocking-stuffers, candy, clothes, shoes, gift baskets and gift cards — as long as they are sealed or tagged. The ages of the youth range from one month old to 18 years old.

They are also requesting that donations arrive gift-wrapped with a note specifying the age and gender the gift is intended for as oftentimes the staff at Agape don’t have enough time to wrap gifts before distributing them to recipients.

“Sometimes they just give them the toys (unwrapped) rather than it feeling more like Christmas and actually being able to open up some gifts,” Moncada said.

She added that she still encourages people to donate even if they aren’t able to wrap the item before bringing it to the salon because she and a group of volunteers will wrap them before bringing them to Agape. She also said cash donations are accepted.

Between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday until Dec. 15, people can bring their donations to D.S.A Lounge located at 2614 Old First St. in Livermore. Moncada said those interested in more information or volunteering can reach her at deidramoncada88@gmail.com or 209-322-9440.