The Deacon's Bench
What a great idea:
When Joshua Coombes got off the bus at Union Station in Washington, D.C., this past February, he didn’t set off for the usual tourist attractions along the Mall. Instead, the London-based hairdresser headed for the marble fountain where homeless people gather outside. Most travelers walk by without a second glance. So what Coombes did next may well have surprised them: He chatted with them, pulled out his scissors and gave them haircuts, free of charge.
Whether in London, New York or Washington, D.C., homelessness can seem like a problem too huge and intractable to tackle. But Coombes, 30, realized that he didn’t have to solve all of everyone’s problems to make an impact. Sometimes, a small luxury such as a haircut can go a long way in boosting someone’s dignity, he told The Washington Post.
Two years ago, he founded the campaign #DoSomethingForNothing. His mission: to make a positive impact by giving haircuts to homeless people he meets on city streets, connecting with them on a human level and sharing their stories on social media. So far he has cut the hair of hundreds of homeless people, including a few women.
“When you cut someone’s hair, it is about trust,” Coombes said. It is about trusting the hairdresser, and in his years doing the job, he’s found that “for some mad reason, clients tell us everything. And that role translates to the street really well.”
And check out Coombes’ website here.
Meantime, take a moment to watch this touching video about his work. This is a kind of diakonia in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIcgqT53vSI
Photo: Instagram
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In