Haircuts for the Homeless
Donation protected
I'm Danika a single 28 year old hair dressing, in home care giving Giants fanatic in Northern California. I've been a hair dresser for about 8 1/2 years now and for about four of those years I have been cutting hair for the homeless and needy all over Marin and Sonoma county.
This all started out in San Francisco one afternoon when I arrived early for a concert and saw a younger homeless woman sitting on a crate holding her baby. I didn't have any money to spare but I did happen to have some of my tools with me. I told her I'd been a hair dresser for several years and offered her a haircut and to my suprise she accepted. I guess for me, at first it really was just a way to pass the time but when I was done I'd felt better and more accomplished than I had all the years I'd been cutting hair for paying clients. A few weekends later I brought my tools back to SF and walked around offering cuts, again I felt accomplished and proud like I was finally using my skills for something a higher power wanted.
With that all said I've become more stationary in the last year, renting tables, chairs and generators as well as now the new found cost of needing a permit so I can reach more people. Although the cost isn't insane it does run me at least a couple hundred dollars each time I set up in the park to cut and I am by no means wealthy so I do have to save and cut corners on my personal bills to make it happen. I guess I'm really just asking for help buying the tables and chairs and small generator and replacing tools that have worn out through the years so I don't have to rent anymore. Anything and everything is welcome including help from other hair dressers and barbers. Believe me it's more than worth it to see the joy a clean up brings to someone who can barely feed themselves.
This all started out in San Francisco one afternoon when I arrived early for a concert and saw a younger homeless woman sitting on a crate holding her baby. I didn't have any money to spare but I did happen to have some of my tools with me. I told her I'd been a hair dresser for several years and offered her a haircut and to my suprise she accepted. I guess for me, at first it really was just a way to pass the time but when I was done I'd felt better and more accomplished than I had all the years I'd been cutting hair for paying clients. A few weekends later I brought my tools back to SF and walked around offering cuts, again I felt accomplished and proud like I was finally using my skills for something a higher power wanted.
With that all said I've become more stationary in the last year, renting tables, chairs and generators as well as now the new found cost of needing a permit so I can reach more people. Although the cost isn't insane it does run me at least a couple hundred dollars each time I set up in the park to cut and I am by no means wealthy so I do have to save and cut corners on my personal bills to make it happen. I guess I'm really just asking for help buying the tables and chairs and small generator and replacing tools that have worn out through the years so I don't have to rent anymore. Anything and everything is welcome including help from other hair dressers and barbers. Believe me it's more than worth it to see the joy a clean up brings to someone who can barely feed themselves.
Organizer
Danika O'Leary
Organizer
Rohnert Park, CA