Studio 2 Extra: Haircuts for the homeless

Empowering Cuts is a nonprofit that serves up free haircuts for people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. And, founder Joshua Santiago says a fresh cut means so much more than a new look – it’s about support and dignity for those who would otherwise go without.

After visiting shelters to give practice haircuts in barber school, he turned his passion into an organization with half a million social media followers who raise money and offer encouragement for the work he’s doing, mostly on his own. 

On this episode of Studio 2, Santiago joins co-host Cherri Gregg to talk about how his parents’ battle with addiction helps him empathize with those living on the streets of Kensington, and his vision for the future of Empowering Cuts.