Our Story
Founded by the mother-daughter team of Dede Caldwell and Saasha Plefka. Their vision of providing free beauty services was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Beauty Bridge concept was born during the Spring 2020 quarantine, when we were all forced to give up our personal care routines. Dede Caldwell, a hair designer for over 35 years, was struck by how this loss of a simple self-care activity affected her outlook. She realized that all of the women she spoke with were also being negatively impacted by the inability to get their hair done. This seemingly small inconvenience, that was a result of a global catastrophe, was actually an integral part of how women viewed themselves. Looking in the mirror to see overgrown, unkempt hair, and mismatched roots from hair color was causing many women to feel depressed and despondent. Dede realized that for the majority of her clients, this was a temporary inconvenience and as soon as quarantine restrictions were lifted, life and hair care would resume as usual.
But what about women who didn't have the finances or the connections to get their hair done? What about women who were fighting addiction, trying to flee an abusive relationship, using their last $20 bill to buy groceries, evicted from their apartment, and living in their car? Would they be able to get a hair cut for an upcoming job interview?
Beauty Bridge Foundation is an organization that offers free personal care services to women at-risk. Our goal is to provide beauty services, performed by skilled and licensed cosmetologists, working as volunteers, in safe salon spaces, while simultaneously offering referrals for additional human services and resources.
Our Team
DeDe Caldwell
DeDe Caldwell
DeDe Caldwell
Chief Executive Officer
For over 35 years, women have trusted DeDe to style their hair and help them feel confident. She has owned, operated, and worked in salons from Utah to California, and now Florida. During the 1990s, while living in San Diego, she was shocked to learn that there were approximately 5,000 homeless women and children in the city. She decided to take a sabbatical from her salon career, and she developed the first no-cost salon, which served at risk women in the largest women's shelter and homeless mission in San Diego. Her time serving at the Rescue Mission demonstrated to her the power of simple human touch, the universal importance of self-care for women, and the value of discovering your individual worth by nurturing the beauty that is in each of us. In addition to her extensive resume in the Hair Design and Salon Industry, she has volunteered with multiple urban ministries, and mentors new hair stylists. DeDe is an active member of Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota. She also has a thriving hair design business at Beauty Bridge Salon in downtown Sarasota.
Saasha Plefka
DeDe Caldwell
DeDe Caldwell
Chief Operating Officer
The oldest daughter of DeDe, Saasha followed in her mom's footsteps and also chose a career in the beauty industry, as a Clinical Aesthetician. Saasha has been involved in skin care for over 23 years and has worked in medical skin care for the past 12 years. She has significant experience in community service. Her passion for helping others began by building orphanages in Mexico during her spring breaks in high school, to her involvement in the Junior League of Hartford, creating a volunteer program to support teen moms at Hartford Hospital, and currently serving free breakfasts on Saturday mornings in Hartford through Sparrow Ministries. Through both her professional career and her involvement in the community, Saasha has experienced first hand the importance of self-care and nurturing that beauty services provide to women of every color, background, and income category. When women feel cared for, they are more confident. She is an active member of Vox Church in Hartford, is the Executive Director of Beauty Bridge Hartford, and works part-time as a Clinical Aesthetician at The Medspa in Old Wethersfield, Connecticut.
BE a bridge builder!
Beauty Bridge is as strong as the community that holds it up.
We can do more TOGETHER than we can do alone.
Let's bring our abilities and passions together to provide BEAUTY for ALL!
Beauty Bridge Foundation Inc. is a nonprofit corporation, registered in the state of Florida and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Thank you for your support!
