Stylist gives free haircuts to the homeless
一位収費高達$150 ~ $800的紐約年輕髮型師喜歡免費給無家可歸的遊民們剪頭髮
Bustos works at Three Squares Studio in the New York City neighborhood of Chelsea, where prices for his services start at $150 and can run as high as $800 for certain straightening or color treatments.
But whenever he can, he packs up his scissors, combs, styling products and rechargeable buzzer and goes out on the streets of New York to give free haircuts to homeless men and women.
On Sunday he started out on the Bowery in lower Manhattan where he found "Red," an older man whose nickname comes from the bright red gloves he wears in the winter. Red is a fixture in the area, always sitting on the same wooden stool.
After the two chatted a bit, Red sat down on his stool and Bustos got to work. A line of other men formed as Bustos whittled Red's wispy, white hair and trimmed his eyebrows. When Bustos finished, Red smiled, dragged his wooden stool back to its original spot and began feeding stale crusts of bread to a flock of pigeons. Red said he doesn't care about his looks anymore, but the haircuts make him feel "cleaner."
While most of the people on the street who receive haircuts are homeless, not everyone is, and Bustos isn't sure about the situations of some, like Red.
Next up was 56-year-old Ray, who has been homeless for eight years as a result of a drug addiction. Ray said he was seeing his 11-year-old daughter that evening, and wanted to look put together for the visit. He carried over a milk crate to sit on, and after Bustos finished buzzing his head and grooming his goatee, Ray gave high fives to his friends. He then gave Bustos a big hug, calling him his "angel."
"When someone comes along and gives you something you never get, it's just nice," said Ray. "It makes me wanna cry."
Third in line was James. After getting his hair shaved, he said he finally felt confident enough to go out and apply for jobs.
Passersby stopped to ask questions, snap pictures and commend Bustos. One person was a barber who said he'd be interested in helping the homeless, too. And that's exactly why Bustos sets up in such public spaces -- to inspire people to use their own passions to help those in need.
For Bustos, now 30, it all started in 2012. While visiting family in the Philippines, he decided to host an event where he gave free haircuts to needy children at a local barbershop.
"It made such a strong positive impact on me that I decided to bring it back home to NYC," said Bustos.
Since then, Bustos estimates he's cut the hair of more than 50 homeless people -- not just in New York, but also in places like Costa Rica, Jamaica and Los Angeles.
