Middletown Salon Owner Doing Her Part To Help First Responders

MIDDLETOWN, CT — Jessica Sassu kept her Middletown hair salon open as long as possible, understanding that the global coronavirus pandemic would eventually force her to close her doors and deal with the hardships that come along with it. In recent weeks, Sassu, the owner of Jessica’s Color Room, has been forced to lay off nine stylists while seeing her own financial stability take a serious blow as the only income she had disappeared. The pandemic also forced Sassu to postpone her July wedding as life as she has known it has changed dramatically.

Yet, in the midst of all of the uncertainty and rising numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths, Sassu figured there had to be a way she could help. So after closing her salon on March 23, Sassu, whose clientele includes firefighters, police officers, nurses and other first responders, has been providing laundry services to those who need it most as a way of helping out those who need it most.

Initially, Sassu began receiving phone calls from clients saying they were experiencing dryness in their scalp because they were washing their hair so often as a way of staving off the coronavirus. In addition, they were washing their clothes more frequently after spending workdays in environments that could make them susceptible to the virus. Sassu, who has continued to work on projects and consultations inside her salon despite not being open for business, figured the least she could do is help first responders with chores they may not otherwise have time to complete.

Although it’s not the business she’s used to providing, Sassu, who awaits word on a number of relief loans she has applied for as a small business owner, takes satisfaction in serving her community in a different way.

“I think this has helped me because I’ve realized I’m in this industry to help others and I feel like that was taken away from me,” Sassu said on Wednesday. “It truly makes me feel good at the end of the day to help people – that’s what I’m used to…I’m used to making people’s day every day and I just thought to myself, I have to do something to help people because it makes me feel good to help people.”

She added: “I just want to be there for them.”

For now, Sassu’s laundry service is only open to first responders, but she figures she would help anyone out who truly needs help. But as she helps out people who work on the front line by providing the same-day laundry services, Sassu is happy to do so for people who deserve help because of what they do.” She has also seen other Middletown businesses get involved such as a local Men’s Warehouse, which has donated garment bags for Sassu to store clean clothes in once they have been washed and ironed.

At a time when Middletown mayor Ben Florsheim said he and other town officials are taking a proactive approach to keep the town ahead of the coronavirus curve, Sassu takes comfort in how her fellow business owners are rallying together.

“I truly love Middletown,” she said. “I’ve seen so many local businesses doing what they can to help out and I think it’s great.”