While Puerto Rico officials are still forced to make calls for aid amid food, clean water and power shortages due to Hurricane Maria, volunteers are stepping up to help the island in unconventional clever ways. Lou Rod Cueva, Founder and CEO of MLR Artist Management, and his creative team of professional hairstylists, makeup artists, and manicurists, are some of those volunteers.
By Heather Newgen
Lou Rod Cueva in Guayama, Puerto
Photo by: Nathan Alan
“My family, including my grandparents and mother, were both impacted by the hurricane. It broke me. This project was so meaningful and purposefully because it hit so close to home. I promised them that we would do something about this,” Cueva told The Voluntourist.
So he gathered members of his agency and headed to Puerto Rico to give back, but not in the typical way you’d expect. His team gave free makeovers to locals and the response was incredible.
Nathan Alan
Photo by: Lou Rod Cueva
“Everyone we were in the presence of was so warm and welcoming and fun,” Sparklle Thames, a makeup artist said.
Sparklle Thames in Guayama, Puerto Rico
Photo by: Lou Rod Cueva
“I feel like our industry is about glamour and vanity, but we have huge hearts and we like to make people feel good. That’s why I’m in the profession I’m in. There’s nothing better than seeing someone smile or giving them confidence or just making their day, and that’s why I was very excited to be part of this trip,” Brandy Castillo, a hairstylist told us.
Brandy Lazaro Castillo with the stylish Gloria Colón in Guayama, Puerto Rico.
She continued, “Being in Guayama was phenomenal. Everyone was so sweet, so kind and so open and so thankful. They were so patient, even after such a crisis and they were so loving and caring. It was a beautiful thing to see. I’m very blessed to be a part of this.”
Cueva, who launched his Boston-based company in 2010 added, “A lot of times when you think about giving service after such devastation, you think about rebuilding a home or getting water supplies or food supplies–those are the basic needs to survive. We’re not necessarily building houses here. We’re not in those types of industries or trades, but we were able to use a trade that we specialize in. We were able to create a project where we’re providing comfort, we’re providing luxury services that is the first that’s taken away from individuals because they’re trying to make ends meet.”
Photo by: Nathan Alan
And he’s right. Most people would never think of using skills like these artists have to volunteer after a natural disaster, which is what makes this effort that much more inspiring and remarkable.
Cueva explained how he came up with the idea.
“We were using a trade that doesn’t get a lot of respect sometimes,” he said. “We feel as a group there’s more to this story than just cosmetics it’s about looking good and feeling good. I think Dove has really championed that. These people were going weeks and weeks and weeks without taking a proper shower or having access to cosmetics or grooming supplies. Having them feel human again, and having them feel that pride–Puerto Ricans are very strong people. They take pride in their appearance. It can be hurtful to them when they don’t feel confident because of the devastation. We really wanted to bring that back to them and I think we achieved that goal.”
Cassandra Lisi Photo by: Lou Rod Cueva
In two days, the team serviced between 150-200 people, which included Jetblue employees who worked tirelessly to help people in Puerto Rico right after the hurricane hit the island.
MLR Artists giving free makeovers to a local community in Puerto Rico
Photo by: Nathan Alan
“What I have to offer is great. It doesn’t necessarily seem like an important thing, but it was important. I saw the look on these people’s faces. Me massaging lotion on their face and adding powder and some lipstick was important, almost as important as being able to build something with my hands,” Thames said.
One of the many sponsors who donated products for the event
Photo by: Nathan Alan
In addition to the complimentary grooming services and makeovers, several sponsors like UNITE, Color Wow, Pinrose Scents, Elizabeth Grady, The Cue, Blo Blow Dry Bar-Sound End, and Trinity Church of California donated items for gift bags that were given to people. And Jetblue Airways comped the artist’s flights to Puerto Rico.