Homelessness is growing across the nation and world with increasing demands on ministries that serve them. A homeless makeover has become the newest tactic in giving these individuals a more positive self-image and a new lease on life so others view them differently. The new look also opens doors to new jobs.
Here are some amazing homeless makeovers that have helped provide the opportunity for a new beginning.
Only a video of this homeless woman’s makeover exists. It can be viewed HERE.
Antonio, 57, had been suffering from serious depression, which led to his homelessness. A salon in La Salvajeria, Spain stepped in giving him a new look which helped relieve his depression.
“The new look has helped me deal with the way I feel inside,” he explained to the Daily Mail. “It’s had so many practical consequences. There was no way I could have found accommodation before. I would have been turned away. I’m now living in a room in a shared house which costs me [around $200] with the electricity…I doubt any of these changes would have happened if it wasn’t for the help of people like the hair salon owner and other locals who assisted me to get back on my feet. I’ll be eternally grateful to them. It’s not just a change of looks. It’s changed my life.”
Larry Greene, 60, struggled with homelessness in Dallas for two decades. A local salon came across him in an alley and decided to give him a new look on Fathers Day and chance at life. “It’s a blessing. I can see the real me,” said Greene.
Former U.S. soldier Jim Wolf’s transition from bearded and bedraggled to well-groomed and sharply-suited was chronicled in a Youtube video that went viral. Producer Rob Bliss made the video to raise awareness and funds for a homeless charity, Degage Ministries.
Earnest Nabors came to Dooneys Barbershop in Clarksdale, Mississippi asking for a haircut, but did not have money to pay.
Nabors sleeps outside the shop at night. Owner, Dave Houston, is known for giving free cuts to the homeless and underprivileged children. “Today he is all smiles!” Houston said. The barber also helped get Nabors into a homeless shelter where he is receiving job training and counseling.
The homeless also can’t see light at the end of the tunnel. In an effort called “Prank it forward,” homeless individuals were invited to enjoy a breakfast but then were treated to a makeover, new clothes and assistance through a ministry called Ascencia homeless shelter in Valencia, Calif. The organization helps the homeless transition from the streets to housing.
–Compiled by Metro Voice