Bennie Anderson, owner of Asheville Highway Barber and Beauty Shop, says there’s no better way to give back to the community than by giving your time and services.
On Monday, Dec. 26, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., barbers at three locations in East Tennessee will offer free haircuts to young men as a way to develop a strong connection with the community and families through outreach. Barbers and their locations are: Anderson at Asheville Highway Barber and Beauty Shop, 4804 Asheville Highway; Stacy Moore at Stacy’s Barbershop, in Kingston; and Craig Charles at Craig’s Crown Cutz in Johnson City.
“I’ve always had a heart for kids who are struggling,” says Anderson. “I’m always looking for ways to offer solutions or help kids find opportunities to succeed. Offering free haircuts could be just the tool a young man needs to bolster his self-esteem or to help someone look nice for a job interview.”
Trevis Love, another organizer of the event, has known Anderson, Moore and Charles for more than 20 years and didn’t hesitate when the opportunity presented itself to work together for a community-building activity. “There are a lot of kids in our community that are hurting and don’t know how to ask for help. I want to be part of activities in the community that give them hope,” Love explains.
Additional support for the event is being provided by Connect Ministries, Honey Rock Church – Jesus in the Gym, and the City of Knoxville’s Save Our Sons initiative. In addition to free haircuts, drinks, chips and pizza will be served while supplies last.
The barbers ask that clients come with clean hair with no styling products; basic haircuts with no designs will be given. Parents are advised to stay with young children and not drop them off. Clients are asked to sign in upon arrival and will be seen on a first-come first-serve basis.
“I always tell kids to look beyond your circumstances,” Anderson says. “You are not defined by where you live, what you’ve done in the past, or what has happened to you. You have the power within yourself to transform your life. This is just the first of many events to remind young people in the community of that fact.”