Miami barbershop gives free haircuts to the homeless for Christmas
Stylists at the RAZZLEDAZZLE Barbershop give free makeovers to the citys homeless population this holiday season.
MIAMI –– Christmas is right around the corner, and one barbershop is inspiring some holiday cheer.
RAZZLEDAZZLE Barbershop in Miami is helping the homeless make the cut this year for Santa's gift list.
"I’m Mrs. Claus all year round … especially now," said Elena Linares, the owner of RAZZLEDAZZLE Barbershop.
Linares and her team of stylists are giving out free haircuts -- around 70 during the month -- to the homeless in South Florida. Linares and her stylists also set up a pop-up shop inside Camillus House, a homeless shelter in Miami.
"This ambiance is what creates the coziness and the man cave. Guys come in here and they freak out! They look at the girls, and it's eye candy and it's refreshing and different… it is a home that you come to. We give you whiskey or vodka when you come in. We massage your hands and it is all about pampering. We give you a hot towel, a neck massage and there's nothing better. Who doesn't like to get pampered? Everybody loves it," Linares said.
Manuel Alvarez, a homeless man living at the Camillus House shows off his before and after transformation. (Elina Shirazi)
Linares said it’s a cause near and dear to her heart. As a domestic violence survivor from New York who spent time in a battered women’s shelter, she packed for Miami to start a new life, and she now gives back to others.
According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data, homelessness in Miami-Dade County increased by 3.2 percent from 2018 to 2019, rising to a total of 3,628 people. (Elina Shirazi)
"I left New York and landed in Miami in 1983, escaping a really bad relationship and basically saving my life. I was a single mom and I ended up at a shelter in Miami. That shelter gave me refuge when I didn't have anywhere else to go. Had it not been for that shelter, I would have been underneath a bridge somewhere."
Ever since they started their holiday haircuts, Linares says they give almost 70 cuts a month — all for free. (Elina Shirazi)
"We get a lot of guys, so grateful because they don’t have the money to pay for a haircut. The greatest gift that we can give another human being is helping them when they are down," Linares said.
A before and after of the transformation of Rowen Steevez, a 19-year-old homeless man living at the Camillus House. (Elina Shirazi)
Her Moulin Rouge, burlesque-inspired shop is unique. Employees dress up in red and black, with sparkling jewelry and flashy Christmas hats, resembling stylish elves at Christmas time.
The small touches are what make Linares's barbershop feel like home, she says. (Elina Shirazi)
Her efforts come amid a rising number of homeless people in Miami. According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data, homelessness in Miami-Dade County increased by 3.2 percent, from 2018 to 2019, rising to a total of 3,628 people.
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Linares says it’s the little changes that can go a long way. The men that come into what she calls her "man cave" agree with that sentiment.
"I feel nicer. I feel like I am a part of this community now. Yeah, it felt like a Christmas gift to me," said Rowen Steevez, a 19-year-old homeless man living at the Camillus House.
"I felt like I was an old man when I first came in here," said 55-year-old Erik Truitt. "I think I am about 45 right now."
Randy Hugo, a 24-year-old living at the shelter, said he also felt like a new person. "I am going to be a little shy walking out of there. Everybody is going to look at me, like, who is that."
Randy Hugo, a man with Camillus shelter says he felt great after the lather and shave he got from their team of stylists. (Elina Shirazi)
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All this, Linares says, in the hopes that these men boost their spirits during the holidays.
"You only have one life to live. You got to be happy. My legacy will be every person that I've touched along the way. That's how I want to be remembered," Linares said.
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