'I am paid in hugs:' Hairstylist gives haircuts to homeless
A Moncton hairstylist gives free haircuts to homeless and working poor people every Wednesday as part of the Humanity Project.
"I am paid in hugs and I like that," said Cathy Berry, owner of Kaktus Hairstyling.
Berry sets up shop outdoors, with only a chair and some hairstyling essentials, including towels, a cape, her scissors, a spray bottle, some combs and clippers.
"Thank God for cordless clippers," she said.
Berry has cut hair for 35 years and has volunteered with the Humanity Project for over a year.
Sign-up sheet
Her haircuts for poor people don't require booking an appointment. Berry leaves a small notepad on her table, where people can sign up for cuts.
"You can't help but care for these people," she said.
She sometimes has to be creative. This week she forgot a hand-held mirror, so she used her car's side mirror instead.
Each week is different, but on average Berry can cut hair for up to 11 clients in the 2½ hours she volunteers.
She said she's not aware of any other stylist in the city who offers free haircuts to homeless people in Moncton.
Helping poor people with their hair never crossed Berry's mind until her daughter volunteered one night for the Humanity Project, passing out food with the charity's founder, Charles Burrell.
Began with homeless girl's request
Her daughter met a girl who was new to the streets and wanted her hair washed and cut. She asked her mother if she'd help, and Berry was more than happy to.
"I did her hair and then that's how I got involved," Berry said.
At first, she volunteered as a cook, not as a stylist — until spring rolled around, and people starting taking off their hats.
Berry realized people needed haircuts.
The volunteer work is important to her.
"They tell me that it makes them feel a little bit more dignified," Berry said. "They look better, they feel better."
For those who need it
The service has helped her not to take the simple things for granted.
"To me it's not as important to have a haircut, but for some people it is," she said.
Berry might be getting some help soon too. A colleague at the salon might begin volunteering with her.
The volunteer work is for the nonprofit group, said Berry, who has been getting phone calls asking about free haircuts.
"That's not what it's about, it's for people who really need it."
Berry said it doesn't take a lot to help those in need.
"I only do it for two and half hours a week.That's not much time that I donate to them, but they are grateful for that small amount."
Berry also volunteers once a month providing haircuts to Youth Quest, a nonprofit centre for youth who are either homeless or at risk of being homeless.
"You can volunteer in any way, whether it's sharing a post and someone else sees it, or whether it's actually giving of your time," she said.
Since the Humanity Project works outdoors, Berry doesn't have the proper equipment to provide shampoos. She hopes she can set up a sink and chair for her clients when the nonprofit gets a new home.
For almost a month, the Humanity Project has served meals everyday in a parking lot at the corner of Mountain Road and Church Street, near the former Moncton High School.
The Humanity Project's previous home was in a building owned by Curl Moncton, which evicted the group at the end of March because it couldn't come up with the money to buy the building.
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The charity has raised almost $148,000 of its $160,000 goal in hopes of purchasing a new home to continue serving Moncton's homeless.
"We need a place," Charles Burrell said.
He stressed that serving food out of a parking lot is five times harder on volunteers because they're using multiple locations to prepare meals.
Burrell said the group feeds about 150 people a day.
