Haircuts For The Homeless: 19 Stylists, 2.5 Hours & 92 Haircuts
It’s been four years since BTC organized the first Haircuts For The Homeless event—an annual opportunity inspired by #beawesometosomebody Founder Mark Bustos’ (@markbustos) mission of bringing stylists together to serve the community. What could be a better celebration of hairdressers than seeing the license to touch both hair and hearts serve its greatest purpose? This year 19 stylists gave 92 haircuts in 2.5 hours to guests at Haven for Hope, a local shelter in San Antonio, Texas.
“BTC’s Haircuts for Homeless project is an opportunity to not only provide haircuts for those less fortunate, but it also serves as an inspiration and call to action for stylists to get active in their communities,” shares BTC Director of Events and Education Janet Gordon. “The greatest gift we can offer another person is our time. You can make someone’s day better through what you say and do. One simple act of kindness can change a life in ways we can’t imagine.”
A haircut has the power to change a life. “It makes me feel so much lighter,” shared one woman after receiving a new haircut and fresh blowout. “Like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.”
John Paul Mitchell Systems stylist Lici Febo shared her moving story with fellow artists, recalling when and how she used hairdressing to transform her own life. “A pair of clippers saved my life,” shares Lici. “While I was homeless, I would cut hair for Ramen Noodles or a room for the night, so this was really humbling because it took me back to when I was one of those people.”
Why does BTC start every show weekend with this powerful event? “The most important thing is to give back to whatever city you go into,” shares Mark Bustos. “We’re all onstage doing these amazing things but if we don’t give respect, we’re not going to gain respect.”
“Today was about producing something with my heart that was going to make people feel good, listening to their stories, connecting, sharing a laugh and giving them a hug,” shares Victory Barber & Brand’s Matty Conrad. “That’s the real magic that we do—what makes this worthwhile is the connection that we produce with our hearts.” Mark added, “We made an impact on their lives, but the guests made an impact on us too.”
Want To Get Involved?
“It’s easy for stylists to get involved locally,” shares Janet. Here’s how to get started:
- Contact your city government or local schools and ask for suggestions on outreach organizations that would benefit from a haircutting event.
- Invite and sign up stylists who would like to donate their time.
- Have the outreach organization schedule a realistic number of guests for your team. A good formula is 2 to 3 guests per hour, per stylist.
- Ask for tables and chairs to be set and then have your team arrive with tools and supplies appropriate for the facility, understanding that you won’t have access to water and limited power.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s event:
- Victory Barber & Brand’s Mark Bustos and Matty Conrad
- Pulp Riot’s Doug Theoharis
- John Paul Mitchell System’s Lici Febo, Heather Kaanoi, David Lowry and Fernie Andong
- Farouk’s McKenzie Lehmann, Suzy Hash and Cynthia Diersen
- Matrix’s Crystal Fierro and Erica Keelen
- Silver Vine Room’s VJ Moscaritola
- TIGI® Professionals’ Joel Torres
- L’ANZA Healing Haircare’s Ammon Carver, Matt Swinney, Jason Dalrymple and Isaac Urgiles
- Local barber and weekly Haven For Hope volunteer Tommie Gonzalez
Also, a big thank you to BTC’s Katie Gould and Janet Gordon for organizing and supporting this event.
