Meet Angelica Fells! Angelica is the owner of Level Up Haircuts and during our current health crisis she has been instrumental in mobilizing several local companies and restaurants in efforts to feed school children.
“The need has probably always been there and nobody focused on it because they was so wrapped in their everyday lives but then when COVID puts us down and made us all stay still I wanted people to know ‘we’re in this together, you’re not by yourself anymore,'” Angelica said.
Angelica was born and raised in Gainesville and is a Gainesville High School graduate, she is the mother of three, grandmother of two and is married to Dwayne Fells.
We want to thank Angelica for recently speaking with us and telling us more about her life and love of Hall County.  

Question: Can you tell me a little bit of what you’ve been up to?
Answer: “What we decided because quarantine impacted our life so drastically was to bridge the gaps to the things that we were experiencing…so we decided to start feeding our community by utilizing a lot of small business owners that frequent our shop. I’ve been to two major events; the first one was March 17, that we did at the American Legion; we had 40 volunteers, 12 small business restaurants that donated food to us and were able to feed 450 people that day. The next one was little more creative because as we are looking and analyzing our community’s needs, we realized that on spring break a lot of the kids and families were dependent upon us. So, for spring break we decided feed families for the whole week. So far we have assisted in feeding 5,959 families.” 

Q: Tell me some of the organizations and restaurants that are helping?
A: “I’m going to start with the nonprofit: Lamp Ministries and they packed 200 lunches (during spring break); Subway and not just one but three stores here in Gainesville, two in Athens and three in Commerce; Burger King Gainesville and they were out there Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with 200 meals a day; Atlas Pizza did 125 pan pizzas; Mellow Mushroom and Circle K. So we have a huge collaboration of businesses come to together.”

Q: Since you got into this, are you amazed at the need?
A: “Yes I am. I am amazed at the demand honestly. The need has probably always been there and nobody focused on it because they was so wrapped in their everyday lives but then when COVID puts us down and made us all stay still, it was easy look at other places, people and say ‘we’re in this together, you’re not by yourself anymore.'” 

Q: How long is Level Up been opened?
A: “Our business formation was Aug. 15 of 2018 and we celebrated our anniversary on Nov. 26, that’s we actually opened our doors.”

Q: What inspired you to led you to your current career?
A: “My mother honestly is the quick answer to that. Growing up she did hair out of the house every Saturday morning. We didn’t get to watch cartoons (on Saturday mornings).”  

Q: What is your favorite restaurants in Hall County?
A: “Honestly, Scott’s Downtown. I like the ambience, salmon and spinach and I always order the same thing.”

Q: What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
A: “Just be able to play at the park knowing that if I got in trouble my neighbors will tell on me. “

Q: What is the first movie that you saw on the theater?
A: “Star Wars.”

Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “One of my major things on my bucket list is to make sure that my community stands unified, that’s number one even without Corona virus and that’s because I am a biracial woman so I don’t believe in racial divisions.”  

Q: What are your 3 favorite bands that you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “I love Prince, TLC and Kane Brown.”

Q: Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?
A: “Hopefully expanding our stores and then be able to employ more people in this community.”

Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “I have an extremely hard exterior feel but I have such a big heart and a lot of people don’t get to see me cry. And since going through Corona virus, I think I’ve done two Facebook lives and I have broken down.” 

Q: What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: “Love, Peace and Respect.”

Q: If you were cast in a major motion picture and you could choose your co-star, who would you choose?
A: “My husband because together we’re so silly and we’re so passionate about the same identical issues.”