Barber spends his Sundays cutting the hair of the homeless for free, because 'every human life is worth the same'
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Version 0 of 1. Hair stylist Mark Bustos works in an high-end salon in New York City during the week, but on Sundays gives back to the city by walking the streets in search of anyone who would appreciate a haircut. Bustos approaches each person with the same introduction – "I want to do something nice for you today" – and if they're interested sits down to give them a trim or a new style, cutting up to six people's hair every Sunday and documenting them on his Instagram account. This is no stunt though, Mark has been giving free haircuts since May 2012. Speaking of a visit to the Philippines where he paid a barbershop owner to provide services to poor children, he told The Huffington Post: "The feeling was so rewarding, I decided to bring the positive energy back to NYC." Asked of his favourite impromptu client, he replied: " Jemar Banks -- I'll never forget the name. "After offering him a haircut and whatever food he wanted to eat, he didn't have much to say throughout the whole process, until after I showed him what he looked like when I was done ... The first thing he said to me was, 'Do you know anyone that's hiring?'" Though a haircut may only be a simple, aesthetically-based good turn, it can prove symbolic of a fresh start and give people who are down on their luck the confidence and self-belief to go out and pursue work. "Every human life is worth the same, we all deserve a second chance," Bustos captioned one of his Instagram pictures. The hairdresser's girlfriend often joins him on his weekly trip around the streets of NYC, asking the people he cuts what they'd like to eat. "One response we've gotten is, 'Nobody ever asks me what I actually want. I usually just get leftovers and scraps,'" he added. |