The power of human touch: eDen Spa owner lives by giving to others

For Sarah Kipela, giving to others is a way of life, and a way to bring joy to others' lives through simple gestures that mean a lot.

"This is something I have done since I was a child," Kipela said.

When Kipela was young, she said, her grandmother was confined to a nursing home, "and I have experienced firsthand how some people are forgotten or don't have the means or ability to enjoy these simple cosmetic services."

Kipela owns eDen Spa & Salon at 151 S. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau and said she loves the experience of helping others with her abilities.

"I have seen how people light up and their entire demeanor and self-appraisal changes, just from a simple haircut or manicure," Kipela said.

Sarah Kipela, owner of eDen Spa & Salon, poses for a photo in her salon Oct. 25 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

"The power of human touch is so incredible," she added.

For Kipela, a practicing Catholic, respect for all life is bound up in what she is.

"All ages and stages and abilities," she said.

It's what makes her business at eDen unique, she added. "It is a place that celebrates the beautiful uniqueness of every individual."

The salon's Facebook page states "Your body is where you live. Come home."

Sarah Kipela, owner of eDen Spa and Salon, poses for a photo in her salon Oct. 25 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

Kipela doesn't just use that tag line -- she lives it.

She's not after accolades, Kipela said. "I do not do this for recognition. I have never told anyone what I do for others, as I feel this would change the intention of my work."

But Robyn Taylor, who with her husband Bruce volunteers at Sunshine Villa near the Interstate 55 on ramp in Scott City, said Kipela's work has done a lot of good she has seen.

Taylor said she had noticed haircuts were not easy to come by for the residents of Sunshine Villa, so she began making calls to area salons.

That's how she happened across Kipela, she said.

Sarah Kipela, owner of eDen Spa and Salon, poses for a photo in her salon Oct. 25 in Cape Girardeau.Andrew J. Whitaker

Taylor said she asked Kipela whether she would be willing to drive down on a weekend, and she was.

"They were great!" Taylor said, giving haircuts that were transformative. Some residents looked almost like different people, so dramatic was their transformation, Taylor said.

Taylor also says Kipela donated money from haircuts she gave in September to hurricane relief, bolstering efforts in Texas to bring aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey.

"It was so thoughtful," Taylor said.

But again, Kipela said, she doesn't do her philanthropic work for the attention, or for any other reason than she enjoys giving of her time and talent to help others. She wants to remind people if she, as a married mother of two young children, can make the time and take the energy, others can, too.

"I want people my age and all ages to know that no matter their schedule or family situation, they can take time to make the world a better place, and it starts in the community they live in," Kipela said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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