Meet Josh Coombes "The Homeless Hairdresser"

While most people today complain over having to go to work and/or perform a job that they’re not comfortable doing, Josh Coombes never has that problem as he’s doing a job that motivates, inspires and keeps him constantly guessing “What hairstyle would you like today.” That’s right, Coombes is not famous nor does he have a celebratory clientele for the individuals he serves are not rich, nor drive fancy cars, they don’t even have expensive homes to go to, that’s because the people he serves daily are homeless.

According to the BBC, 29-year-old Coombes has been giving free haircuts to the homeless for the past year. Him and his fellow friends Matt Spracklen and Dave Burt‘s hashtag #DoSomethingforNothing campaign. The goal is to encourage people to help others, any way they can.

Coombes is a hairstylist, living in London, in an effort to give back to his community. Josh decided to take his gift of cut to the streets of London and cut hair for the people whom can’t afford to get a good haircut; his target was the homeless. Per the justviral news site, Coombes discovered his love for hairdressing five years ago. And everyday once he left work, he recognized how people were sleeping “rough in the city” as he called it.

“Somehow giving some pocket change didn’t feel like it accomplished all that much anymore,” he said. “Analyzing this, I think I was just looking for a way to do something more personal, something to try and make a difference and learn more about someone’s life.”

Coombes stated that the initial reaction to him doing this effort for free was not well received as most homeless questioned his efforts, thinking it was a catch involved. But when they realized how genuine and sincere Coombes was, what started as an “uneasy encounter” turned into a warm, inviting embrace.

Coombes cuts hair for anyone that is willing to allow him to do it; from young teens, to men and women alike – no one is turned away from his clippers.

“When I see somebody I’ll usually set up where they are, grabbing anything I can nearby for them to sit on to make it a more comfortable experience.”

Before & After – The work of Josh Coombes

London is not the only place where Josh has cut the hair of the homeless. He’s traveled abroad to Paris, The U.K. and Sydney, Australia. Even a night out on the town usually turns out to be an all day event of passionate hair-cutting and tailoring. Coombes takes his “equipment”– as he calls it– everywhere he goes. Josh posts all of his before and after pics on his Instagram website which is titled “dosomethingfornothing.” Now homeless people can finally experience the joy of being able to walk down the sidewalk with confidence and don’t have to worry about people moving away from them in terror due to how they look. All thanks to a man who decided one day to “give back.” Thanks Josh!

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