Princeton University Athletics
Tigers Together Summer Series - Beauty To The Block
September 29, 2023 | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Every Friday for the month of September, Princeton Athletics has highlighted summer community engagement and education events. In the Third installment:
Beauty To The Block Creates A Home Away from Home for Incoming Freshman Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete
Diane Bellamy — Community leader, CEO of In His Image Hair Studio, and Executive Director of Beauty to the Block — has a passion for healing the city of Trenton. Diane and her husband Antino Bellmay, Pastor at Transformation Church, started Beauty to the Block (BTTB) as a free event serving 20 to 30 people by providing free haircuts and hairstyles at In His Image Hair Salon. A mere six years later, BTTB has grown to serve 350 Trentonians while adding 50 volunteers, dispensing free haircuts, hairstyles, health screenings, breakfast, lunch, clothing, shoes, games, and resources for housing opportunities in downtown Trenton. Community organizations that partnered with BTTB were Restoring Hearts ministries, Creative Change Counseling, Faith & Favor ministries, the Trenton Health Department, The Maker’s Place, Trenton Health Team, Choice One, Restorative Justice Street Team, and Transformation Church.
Diane Bellamy states “This event creates a life-giving experience to encourage, empower, and honor the humanity of our neighbors in need in the Greater Trenton Area. We want all those we serve to know their struggles do not define them and that true beauty is within them.”
Diane has turned BTTB into a non-profit organization with the mission to unearth beauty in the Trenton community through need-based services, innovative events, and strategic partnerships designed to serve the homeless.
“My ‘why’ behind this event is understanding how the lack of basic needs often prevents people from living a fulfilling life, resulting in difficulties such as bullying, mental health challenges, and addiction. By offering need-based services and strategic events, BTTB will help the Trenton community see the beauty in themselves and pursue a full life.”
Princeton student-athletes served as part of the 50 volunteers this year for BTTB. Freshman Men’s Basketball student-athlete Dalen Davis' perspective was enlightening.
“To be honest I never thought that I would experience an event like this while being a student-athlete at Princeton University,” he says. “This is my first time on the East Coast so the transition this summer was somewhat of a culture shock, but serving at Beauty to the Block was love. It felt like home from the food, music and people. Trenton gave me something special that day. I was missing home a little bit this summer, so experiencing Beauty to the Block came at the right time.”
Dalen connected with a few community leaders whom he hopes to learn from during his time at Princeton, especially Antonio Bellemy, Program Coordinator, and Pete Lewis, Outreach Worker.
Dalen states” I had the privilege of meeting community leaders who reminded me of some of the community leaders back home. I hope to build relationships with Tone and Pete in the future. I love their passion and enthusiasm for the Trenton community. This is the type of environment I want to be a part of while at Princeton, to establish where I come from and represent my city. I think it would be great to bring Beauty to the Block to Chicago. You’d have two cities providing cultural experiences around excitement, education, and empowerment, while also seeing beauty no matter what struggles you are going through. Beauty to the Block was my home away from home.”
