“I feel like a human.”

Since starting the Red Chair Project, the whole experience has revolved around meeting people in our community who are asking for help, and offering them a haircut on the spot. Up until now, this has meant giving haircuts outside, and most of the time, on the side of the road!

With this simple idea growing rapidly and in many unexpected ways, we have been overwhelmed (in a good way) by the number of people who want to get involved! The passionate excitement around this project inspired us to explore how to keep it going, even through the brutal cold of a Minnesota winter.

We posted on our social media that we were looking to explore partnering with a local shelter, and received multiple responses, one of which was from Maren. Maren works at Simpson Housing, which began as an emergency overnight shelter in the basement of Simpson United Methodist Church in 1982, and has since become a leading nonprofit providing assistance to people experiencing homelessness. Over the years, they have grown their programs to include emergency shelter, single adult supportive housing, and family supportive housing.

Maren connected us with Marian, who is the Simpson Housing Operating Manager. The care and dedication she has for the people who utilize the shelters resources is incredibly beautiful. With her help, we planned our first-ever Red Chair: Winter Edition.

We began reaching out to people who have expressed interest in volunteering, and were blown away by the excitement and willingness to help from so many! Not only were we receiving local support, but we also ended up catching the eye of Sony Entertainment. With the new Mr. Rogers movie coming out (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) they were seeking to partner with an organization that reflected the kindness that Mr. Rogers encouraged. We were thrilled to find out that the Steller Kindness Project, alongside the Salvation Army, were the two organizations they chose to support!

Not only were we invited to represent Steller Kindness at the pre-screening of the movie, but they also donated to our upcoming Simpson Housing Red Chair Project. Because of their generosity, we were able to fill 143 bags with mittens, hand warmers, socks, notes, and treats. 143 was Mr. Rogers favorite number, so it felt fitting to carry that theme into our event! ( I. Love. You = 1. 4. 3.)

We needed a few extra hands to help us pack the bags, and organize our remaining donations, so we asked our amazing social media community if 4-5 people would be interested in helping us out. Because of the people who joined us (some of whom we had never met!) what would have taken us 4 hours, took 1 hour. It’s amazing what a difference asking for help makes :)

With 2 barbers, 5 stylists, 8 chairs, and 1 massage therapist, this was our most extensive project to date. We didn’t even have enough red chairs! We were also joined by a couple of the Sony Entertainment crew, as well as Chelsie Lopez who captured the evening with beautiful photos. The whole set up/tear down was made so much easier because of the generosity of one of our volunteers, Justin, who rented a Uhaul to transport the vast array of chairs, items, and tools that we needed for the event!

Our common theme going into any Red Chair Project is this: even if we cut ONE person’s hair, it is a success.

We believe that the quality of the connection, is more important than the quantity of the haircuts.

Often times when we get a haircut we quickly take a selfie and move on. It’s something we just do, and we often don’t stop and think how we feel afterwards. Having the opportunity to cut hair for people who rarely receive a professional haircut reminds us that there is so much joy to experience when we don’t take things for granted.

One gentleman told a staff member that he felt seen. He exclaimed “I feel like a human”. The staff member reassured him he looked like a human before, but he then responded with, “But now I feel like a human.” It’s stories like these that keep us doing what we do. Our goal is to make people look and feel their best because they are deserving and they are worthy.

The staff and guests at Simpson Housing invited us in with open arms, they were grateful to us - but we are also grateful for them. Simpson Housing is creating a space that helps people in the homeless community feel safe, and serves as a reminder that they belong.

Thank you to the amazing volunteers who made this experience possible:

"All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors--in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver."
-Mr. Rogers