Charlene Minx thought of doing free haircuts for those in need more than a year ago, after becoming inspired when seeing this being done in larger cities.
So, she brought it to the city she loves most – her hometown, Buffalo.
How did her event turn out? Read on from Charlene herself.
“Late last summer, my husband and I got in touch with Buffalo’s Good Neighbors after a friend from church said she was involved with the group feeding those in need. We started going to distribute veggies a few times per month in the downtown area. This past March, I spoke with key group members about offering free haircuts to those in need as the weather warms up! I made flyers and posted them all over Facebook & Instagram and contacted every hairstylist and barber I could think of trying to find others to help out.
As Buffalo’s Good Neighbors feeds anywhere from 100-150 people throughout the summer we needed a pretty big crew available to cut hair. In the cold months, there’s only about 30-40 people that will show up for food and more than half were interested in free haircuts. Sally’s Beauty and A&A Beauty Supply were glad to provide the supplies I needed for our first event this past weekend.
A new cape was used on each person, and everyone was able to keep their comb. I was just thrilled to start this! God always has a plan and everything worked out great!
We are all just human and some of us go through hard times. I want people to be able to come and go, and just connect on a pure human level.
There are no judgments. Each person is celebrated for who they are. It’s about simply loving one another.
We heard from former addicts who were so excited to tell us how long they have been clean – it’s amazing! We all clapped and cheered for the milestones they reached.
A simple haircut brings so much confidence. The best gift I could get was seeing the smiles on their faces, and their radiant joy. For someone who may not have a ton of happiness, and who are struggling to survive, that very moment in time in having a haircut is priceless.
And I mean REAL haircuts, not just a shave down (unless that is what they want!).
You know, we bring joy to the people we help, but they have no idea how they in fact leave such an imprint on our hearts. I feel nothing but love, and this is definitely one of the greatest experiences of my life.
So far, there’s myself and three other stylists, and two assistants committed to helping this summer. I’ve had plenty of interest but not many are able to commit. So I am still looking for licensed barbers and cosmetologists to help provide haircuts this summer. People can sign up for whatever month works for them.
Special thanks to Shannon Daniels, Rebecca Pustulka and Lisa Roche for helping out for our first time event!”
