Lower Lights Ministries

Lower Lights Ministries is a nonprofit in Columbus. It began in 1991 through people from Lower Lights Community Church, together with Dave and Jane Fulks, both pastors. Its first efforts responded to pressing needs among Franklinton families, providing food, clothing and personal care items. Across the last twenty years it has expanded into a holistic community development organization that also operates supportive housing. Rachel's House serves women leaving incarceration, and Lower Lights Recovery serves women with substance use disorders.

The salon, at 1116 W Broad Street, provides hair and beauty services at affordable prices for lower-income neighbors. Its work also includes giving women with backgrounds of addiction or incarceration meaningful employment, new skills and workforce training. Services are offered to men, women and kids.

Visits are by appointment only, and consultations and bookings are made by calling the salon at 614 928 3398. Hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 11 AM to 6 PM and Thursday from 11 AM to 8 PM. The salon is closed Wednesdays for its free haircut events. Haircuts start at $15, brows at $12, blowouts at $25 and color at $45.

The salon hosts free haircut events for vulnerable people across central Ohio, sometimes in partnership with other organizations. Through the Pay It Forward program, donors can fund a haircut for someone in need at one of these events. The salon is also seeking volunteer stylists to help at them.

The ministry works on the needs of the whole person and the root causes of destructive behaviors, and it hires people with lived experience to lead its programs.