The Doorway to Hope?

Can a fresh haircut improve the life of a homeless person? Absolutely! Certainly looking in the mirror and seeing a well-trimmed image improves self-respect. You can see the buoyancy in their step.

But it also matters that people around you respond with smiles and words like "Hey, look at you! You look great!" But there is also the experience of someone fussing over you, tending you, working to make you look and feel better and affirming your basic worth as a person. That kind of attention does a person a world of good.

On December 16, two professionals came to the Center to offer free haircuts to our guests. Sixteen were served. Their presence was organized by Jean Jacques from Healthcare for the Homeless, through a grant by the Marianites of Holy Cross.

One guest said, "I’ve got an interview tomorrow, and I want to look my best."

Another said, "I don’t want people to think I’m a slob. I’m not."

A woman said, "Makes me feel like a million bucks."

The homeless can be invisible on the streets. Or, if they are seen, they are seen as unkempt and scruffy ruffians. A haircut might make the world see that homeless person differently. I know it makes the homeless see themselves differently. Who knows? Maybe a simple haircut is the doorway to hope.