PHOENIX (AZFamily) — On New Year’s Day, thieves crawled under a converted van and stole its catalytic converter, rendering the mobile barber shop that serves people experiencing homelessness inoperable and bringing the nonprofit’s mission to a sudden halt.
The van belongs to Darryl Brandt, better known across the Valley as “The Dreaded Barber,” who travels city to city offering free haircuts, conversation and connections to social services. For many clients, Brandt said, a haircut is more than grooming: it is a check-in, a safe space and sometimes a lifeline.
“This is soul-crushing and gut-wrenching and to say it’s painful is an understatement,” Brandt said. “This is major. One, the bus can’t go anywhere. It sounds loud as any muscle car you’ve ever heard. It’s illegal to drive without a catalytic converter. And it’s ground everything to a halt.”…