#BeAwesomeToSomebody

Mark Bustos

This is Mark Bustos, a 30 year-old hairstylist at Three Squares Studio in New York City. He has a list of celebrity clients, but every Sunday he does something to give back. He goes to places like Union Square, the Lower East Side, and Midtown to give haircuts to homeless men and woman. “Whether I’m giving one at work or on the street, I think we can all relate to the haircut and how it makes us feel,” Mr. Bustos said.  His idea is to give back to the community because everyone deserves a good haircut. He posts before and after shots of his clients with the hashtag "BeAwesomeToSomebody" and he believes anyone can do something awesome like this. The idea came to him when he went to the Philippines in 2012. After seeing all the impoverished children there he decided to open up a barber shop. After returning home to New York he decided to go out on the streets and give haircuts.

David Terry

This is David Terry, a 50 year old homeless man who is H.I.V. positive. He often feels depressed because he feels like he's "on a treadmill going 80 miles per hour with the brakes on". One Sunday he received a haircut from Bustos. After seeing himself in the mirror he said “Yeah, baby, I’ve still got it, I’m the king of the world.” An Executive from Coalition for the Homeless believes that a haircut means more to homeless person than just a couple of inches trimmed off. It can help remind them of who they used to be and can often make them want to be that person again. Bustos once had a man say  “Do you know anyone who is hiring. I’m ready to go get a job.” after getting a haircut. 

 It's amazing what getting a haircut can do to a person and it's amazing what one person, like Mr. Bustos, can do for someone. So, thank you Mr. Bustos for inspiring people to do more and give back.