SPOKANE, Wash. — Hundreds of people experiencing homelessness were able to eat a hot meal, get a flu vaccine, pick out free clothes, and more at the 12th annual Spokane Homeless Connect.
There were a record number of vendors at this year’s event. One of the more popular services was Spokane Community College. Cosmetology students offered people free haircuts.
A few people said it gave them the extra boost of confidence that they needed.
“You feel refreshed, and you can go out and find a job and there’s free clothing over there and you could do really well,” Cheryl White, a woman who received a free haircut said.
Cheryl was one of many people who came to the event and left feeling more confident and inspired to go after their goals.
One of the hairstylists said people also got to experience what it was like to sit down, relax and have good company.
“One in particular, he came in and he was kind of sullen and didn’t really speak up much. And, by the end, he was looking at his mirror and he was just really excited to see that he had gone, you know, over six weeks without a haircut. So, it’s way longer than what he wants and it was just wonderful to get back to what he wants to look like,” Lou Tippets, a cosmetology student said.