Hairdresser Joshua Coombes has a rather unusual hobby: he cuts the hair of people who live on the street for free. One day, Joshua realized that he was not in a position to change the lives of homeless people, but to make at least a small impact on them. That’s when he decided to launch the campaign #DoSomethingForNothing (do something for nothing), which brought together many people in different parts of the world.
Check out some images of the most moving moments of Joshua’s beautiful volunteer work, and the little stories behind them. Realize how even a small act of kindness can bring a little hope to other people.
toby
Joshua met Toby in London. He is only 19 years old and sleeps on the street when he can’t find a place in shelters. Toby lived with his mother, but decided to leave the house because the relationship was not very good. Despite the complicated situation, he is a friendly and optimistic person.
Terry and Eveylon
Terry and his girlfriend Eveylon have been living on the street together for over 6 months. The 2 had problems in the past, including with drugs, which left them homeless. Nevertheless, despite the bad experiences, they are happy because they have each other. Joshua says he was amazed by the respectful way they treat each other.
In December of last year, the hairdresser met them in New York and learned that they had got married.
mark
Mark is 47 years old and lives in London. He has a very interesting life: his father was in the military and his family was always moving, which meant that he had few friends. When he grew up he joined the military and was sent to Afghanistan where he lost his only 2 good friends.
After that, he went to live in Australia, fell in love with it, and decided to stay until the visa expired. Back in the UK, Mark fell into a depression and ended up on the streets. He still talks to his girlfriend and hopes that she might one day come and live with him in the UK.
Cedric
Joshua and Cedric have a lot in common. They share many interests like reading, art and good music. They met on Boulevard Montmartre, in Paris, where they listened to The Clash and David Bowie while the hairdresser gave the boy a makeover. Cedric likes to talk about his favorite books with Joshua. This one claims that he feels a great magic inside Cedric, that even the winter of the streets of Paris is not able to take away.
James
James is 25 and saw Joshua in Leicester Square while he was cutting someone else’s hair. It was at that point that he decided to ask for a cut. He had lost his father a year before and had been living on the street ever since. James says that the dog’s company was instrumental in getting through the difficult phase. Joshua believes that James is on to something better, thanks to his great energy.
all
Tod is 37 years old and lives on the streets of Santa Monica, USA. He arrived from the state of North Carolina a few months ago, got bored with local life and decided to travel. The boy comments that he was only able to survive through the kindness of others, and plans to return home soon. Joshua describes Tod as an open and kind person. And he says that haircuts always come with a lot of talking.
Petru
Petru comes from Romania and arrived in London 8 years ago. He’s done some work since then, but ended up on the streets. Although he doesn’t have a home, he doesn’t want to go back to his old country because he doesn’t like it there. Joshua really enjoys talking to Petru and was delighted to have given the man the chance to smile again.
pray
Reza came to the UK from Iran 10 years ago. One day, he was taken out of the apartment, ended up on the streets and started using drugs. He overcame heroin addiction and today helps his girlfriend, who has many health problems. Reza has received a lot of help from the local community and is struggling to make a living. Joshua really enjoys listening to his stories.
And here, Joshua in action
“Cutting someone’s hair means trusting them. This is a perfect opportunity to show kindness, no matter who the other person is. I want to listen and learn from people who choose to tell me their stories.”
We hope Joshua’s attitude inspires more people to use their talents for the good of people in need 🙂