Stronger Together: Rhonda Bernardi

London, Ont. -

Rhonda Bernardi, owner of Nova Vita Hair Studio and Esthetics, is one of those of people you meet who is selfless, kind, and always trying to find new ways to lend a hand.

Her salon has been in business on Richmond Row in downtown London for 22 years and has given her a vehicle to help a number of organizations in the city.

"There are so many ways that we can give back and it can be in the smallest way by helping out,” she says.

Her biggest fundraiser is the The Little Black Dress event, which she created in 2007 and has raised over $150,000 for Wellspring Cancer Support.

The salon does a toy drive every year in support of the Children’s Aid Society, and they lend their talents to fashion shows, Regional HIV/AIDS Connection and My Sister’s Place, just to name a few.

Her colleagues describe her as strong, selfless, with a heart of gold and say she is always thinking of new ways to support the community, even with COVID-19 restrictions.

While her salon was closed due to the pandemic, she volunteered with an outreach team to support those facing homelessness.

Bernardi loves to motivate her team and says without their help none of this would be possible.