Joshua Coombes is a 28 year old hairdresser and musician based in Exeter, southern England. He is trying to make a connection with others — more specifically, with the homeless people he sees on the streets every day.
In an effort to raise awareness about the problems they face, he has begun a touching initiative with his friend and photographer Matt Spracklen, hoping to inspire others to help them, too.
Aside from working hard at the salon during the day, he does something extremely noble outside of work…
Every day after work, he goes out on the street and gives free haircuts to the homeless.
Most nights, Joshua can help up to seven customers, and he almost always has a long line forming in front of his ‘shop’ on the street.
‘For me, it is about giving something back and raising awareness of the homeless,’ Joshua told the Metro, ‘and by doing it on the street, it breaks the generalization and so far it has been a good response.’
Joshua was first inspired to help the homeless after witnessing a similar occurrence during a trip to New York.
Now, together with his friend and photographer Matt Spracklen, he hopes to create awareness with his free service. Instead of giving money to the homeless, he is trying to establish a human connection with them.
‘Giving haircuts is such a small thing, it is just me going up to someone, having a chat, and cutting their hair,’ said Joshua. ‘They really appreciate the gesture.’
The pair has already visited a couple of cities in their county, and plan to travel farther up north in a few weeks.
‘Doing something good for nothing really wakes people up. It is just me giving up a bit of my time. It is a great experience and it is really humbling for me,’ said Joshua. He hopes to inspire others to help the homeless in any way they can, and to join him in creating awareness about their situation.
Via – Littlethings.com