“As a barber, it’s actually more than just cutting hair. It’s actually about giving to others and about giving out to the community,” Adriana, a DFW Barber with Handcrafted Barber Studio, said. “It definitely helps build people up and I enjoy making people feel beautiful and great about themselves.”
Adriana cutting Rhonda’s hair.
Adriana was in a 7-Eleven when Stormy, our Community Advocate, noticed Adriana had a scissor logo on her shirt. Knowing our Streetside Salon was just around the corner, he introduced himself, told her about the event, and invited her to be a part of it.
There is something about being invited to be a part of something meaningful that makes an encounter with a stranger in 7-Eleven feel more like an encounter with a friend.
Adriana came! She met our friends on the street and cut their hair along with three other hairstylists last Saturday. We got the chance to know her, and she got the chance to know us, our friends and others who are passionate about hair. This is part of what bridging the gap looks like.
“It’s just a different experience. Just being able to see the community and all the people that actually need help, just making them feel great about themselves was awesome,” Adriana said.
One man, after getting up out of his chair after getting his hair cut, said, “Now that my hair’s cut, I might be able to get that job interview!”
We started our Streetside Salon because of a need. We asked our friends on the street what they needed that they were not able to get elsewhere, and they said haircuts. We’ve had our Streetside Salon a few times a year now for five years and it’s still something our friends on the street to look forward to. It’s a time that gives them hope, and makes them feel beautiful, seen and loved. See our pictures below to see the smiles on their faces. :)
We had 42 volunteers, including our four stylists and our catering team! 32 of our friends got their hair cut! Thank you to all those who came to be a part of our Streetside Salon last Saturday! And thank you to Austin Street Center for allowing us to use their basketball court! We could not have done this without you all!
Upcoming Streetside Salon
We have another Streetside Salon event coming up on Saturday, October 5th, from 9-11am!
There were a good amount of our friends on the street that weren’t able to get haircuts because of a lack of time and people, so if you are a stylist or know a stylist who wants to volunteer with us, email our Community Advocate, Stormy, at stormy@thehumanimpact.org.
For those who want to volunteer to help with setup, take down, and to talk with our friends, we’d love for you to come! You can sign up through Vomo!
