It was this past Christmas when Bonnie Fisher was listening to Hunters Bay Radio and heard about all the volunteer work that goes on in the Huntsville community. Fisher knew she wanted to make a difference and she thought using her skill of cutting men’s hair would be the perfect way.
Fisher has been cutting hair in the Huntsville area since she moved back home in 2013 but it wasn’t until last summer that she decided to open her own shop.
“When I left my place of employment I didn’t expect to ever have my own business even though I always wanted to,” said Fisher. “But when I had former clients contact me through Facebook, my boyfriend suggested I just go for it and finally open my own barber’s.”
That was when Fisher transformed the workshop in her back yard into her own little space and called it The Barber’s Cabin.
“I wanted my shop to have a masculine, rustic Muskoka feel to it,” said Fisher. “In Huntsville we don’t really have a place for men to go and get their hair cut. Since the decor in salons is usually orientated towards women, I knew that’s where I could step in.”
Originally, Fisher was thinking of having a drop-in barber evening at The Table Men’s Shelter, but when they closed she contacted her friend and client, James Hunt, director of The Door.
“I thought March would be good time for Bonnie to come in since job hunting season is coming up,” said Hunt. “Since people are often judged on their looks, we wanted to give them a clean and fresh cut for job seeking.”
Both James and Bonnie are believers that a simple haircut can not only allow men to feel pride in their appearance, but tremendously affect their day-to-day positivity.
“There are mental health benefits with having a haircut because they feel much more proud and confident,” said Hunt. “One of my goals with the men I work with is having them grow up into gentlemen. I know part of that is having them take pride in their appearance and always checking in with their mental health.”
James tacked the Barber Drop-In event onto The Door’s usual Friday night program, “The Ugly Couch Club.”
“It’s a smaller, more intimate group on Fridays but we form amazing trust and relationships with the kids that attend,” said Tara Bell, a regular volunteer at The Door.
Friday nights at The Door start with a bible study, followed by a hangout time where everyone can chat or play games. Around 5:30, the group heads up to Sutherland Hall to have dinner together, made by Joy Stott and Joe Pace, volunteers at All Saints Anglican Church.
To become a volunteer at The Door, contact James Hunt at: [email protected].
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The people who volunteer their time to help others in this manner deserve the highest accolades. Restores one’s faith that there is overpowering good in our midst.