Joshua Santiago has made it his mission to travel across the US offering haircuts to individuals who can’t afford it – and his latest dramatic transformation left many people gobsmacked
A hairdresser has gone viral for his act of kindness after offering free haircuts to the homeless.
Joshua Santiago is a man on a mission since becoming an internet sensation for his kind gesture. The barber offers haircuts to individuals who can’t afford it and travels across the US with Empowering Cuts, the company he founded in 2017.
Now the Philadelphia man has been doing an incredible job of it too, just recently he shared a clip of a homeless man who was left speechless after his transformation in a post with his 471,000 TikTok followers.
And in a new video, which scooped 19,200 likes and 600 comments, starts with a homeless man sitting on the edge of the street wearing a pair of sliders, jumper and tracksuit bottoms.
He then climbs aboard Joshua’s chair as the hairdresser gets to work following a brief chit-chat. He starts by shaving off his hair completely and having a good chuckle with his client.
Next up, he works on his beard, waxes his scalp and makes him look like a completely new man. After giving him the mirror, the man almost can’t believe his transformation.
It left many people on TikTok with watery eyes as one said: “Homeless people need to be treated like human beings.” And another added: “My guy looking like LeBron James after the freshly cut.”
A third commented: “Love what you are doing for the community.” And a fourth chimed in: “Your parents did a good job. Respect!” While a fifth posted: “You just restored that man’s belief that anything is possible.”
For the past few years, Joshua has travelled throughout the country providing free haircuts for the unhoused and people battling addiction. He’s from Philadelphia and often treks to the Kensington neighbourhood to meet with the people.
He speaks with them before offering a free haircut and transforming their appearance. On the weekends, he brings out a mobile RV with a full service barbershop. The barber said the conversations he has with them offer an opportunity for transformations.
