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Jarrett Allen will host his third annual back-to-school haircut event for 50 children from the Brooklyn community at Levels Barbershop in Clinton Hill on Tuesday, August 27.
In addition to back-to-school haircuts for the children, Allen, with support from the NBA, NBPA, the Nets and Nike, will provide them with drawstring bags and school supplies.
Allen will be returning to Levels, a few blocks from Barclays Center, for an event he’s hosted at the end of summer in both 2017 and 2018.
The Nets worked with organizations including Children of Promise and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) in Fort Greene to identify children within the community. The event begins at 2 p.m. on the 27th.
Children of Promise is particularly important to Allen. It’s the first and only after-school program and summer day camp specifically designed to meet the “needs, interests and concerns” of children left behind by a parent who’s been incarcerated.
Each of the last two years, around 50 kids from six to 18 years old have come to Levels where Allen has been on the hand to talk with them and distribute the supplies.
“Growing up, me, my brother and my family, we used to work at food banks and hand out food on the weekends,” Allen said last season. “We would go to church. We’d always try to give back to the community anyway we can. It just feels right doing it. It just feels like something I need to do and I’m supposed to do. People in the community need this and I don’t mind giving back.”
Allen was a finalist this past season for the 2018-19 NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente. The seasonlong award honors a player’s strong commitment to positively impacting their communities through sustained efforts over the course of the season.