Heavenly Hygiene partners with Bless Up and Bloom

TIFFIN — Local Heavenly Pizza locations are partnering with Bless Up and Bloom to provide hygiene help and haircuts. In previous years, Heavenly Haircuts was an annual event hosted at Heavenly Pizza locations in Tiffin, Findlay, and Upper Sandusky, said Brook Simsa, founder of Bless Up and Bloom. For example, she said, Tiffin's Heavenly Pizza hosted Heavenly Haircuts on August 11 in 2025, where styling services were provided outside the restaurant under a tent area. However, due to the unpredictability of weather and scheduling complications for families, this year's event has been revamped to best serve the community and the stylists who volunteer their services. Heavenly Haircuts has been modified to Heavenly Hygiene, Simsa said, and Heavenly Pizza locations in Tiffin, Findlay, Upper Sandusky and Bowling Green each will set a date to host a hygiene kit distribution. The kits will include full-size hygiene items, such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc., as well as a haircut voucher to be redeemed by the recipient. Each county will have 300 hygiene kits, including 300 haircut vouchers, to distribute, she said. Not only are donations needed from the community for hygiene items, Simsa said, but Heavenly Hygiene is inviting local stylists to volunteer their time and talent by signing up to provide appointments for the vouchers. Stylists can visit blessupandbloom.org to sign up for a commitment level, and their name will be added to that number of vouchers to be included in the hygiene kits. Once distribution has taken place, recipients will contact the stylist on their voucher to schedule an appointment within 90 days of the event. Not only does the voucher system allow for a more traditional approach to styling services, Simsa said, but recipients should keep in mind their county's transportation options when a ride is needed for an appointment. NCAT in Seneca County, Wyandot Ride Service, HATS in Hancock County, and a variety of ride services in Wood County can be contacted in advance of a haircut appointment to ensure transportation is arranged. Simsa said Heavenly Hygiene is intended for school-aged children in grades kingergarden through 12, hoping to help them "feel fresh for school." "We want the kids to be focused on education," Simsa said, not be worried about not having a haircut or being without needed hygiene items. The goal is to help kids "feel belonging and included," she said, and to help them set their sights on success. Families will need to register to participate in Heavenly Hygiene, Simsa said, with a maximum of five registrations per family. However, she said, another family member, such as an aunt, can register any additional children from a family who would like to receive a kit and haircut voucher. Registration will open in June or July, depending on the Heavenly Pizza location, she said, and will be found at each local Heavenly Pizza website: heavenlypizzatiffin.com, heavenlypizzabg.com, heavenlypizzafindlay.com, and ajsheavenlypizzaupper.com. Heavenly Pizza locations will have a friendly competition "for bragging rights" to see who can register the most participants, and vouchers for free pizza slices likely will be included in the bags, Simsa said. Simsa said the process to fill the hygiene kits also has been streamlined this year, and a "wishlist" link is provided on the website to guide donations. The wishlist link takes shoppers to a specific Amazon registry, from which items can be purchased and sent directly to Bless Up and Bloom. Simsa noted their delivery location must be selected during the Amazon checkout process to ensure the package ships correctly. The option to make a financial donation also is provided on the website, and Simsa said any local service/resource organizations that would like to have material included in the hygiene kits can contact Bless Up and Bloom to make arrangements. According to blessupandbloom.org, the organization, founded in 2020, seeks to provide "hygiene education programs and hygiene kits to schools, shelters, veterans, foster care agencies, recovery centers, and community organizations." "We serve Findlay, Hancock County, and surrounding communities by combining practical hygiene instruction with direct access to essential personal care products," the website states. "God gave me this vision," Simsa said, and her work as a stylist has opened her eyes to "see a need." "We (stylists) touch so much more than hair," she said. According to the website, "Dignity is not a luxury. It's a basic human right." Bless Up and Bloom strives to ensure that right is honored throughout the community, one hygiene kit, one haircut, and one class at a time.