PHOTOS BY ALLI WESEMAN/THE PIONEER

Haircuts with Heart is an Oakland based non-profit that helps humanize guests with one small gesture: giving them a free haircut. The organization was launched two years ago by founder Rebecca Beardsley, a hair stylist from Shineforth salon in Oakland, CA. In addition to providing haircuts, they also give beard trims and manicures. The nonprofit has partnered with a number of non-profits such as Lava Mae, Operation Dignity, the Salvation Army, the Suitcase Clinic, and Roots. Hair stylists from around the East Bay have volunteered their time and equipment to help serve individuals from disadvantaged communities. While a haircut may not seem like a huge gesture, it has helped people who don’t have access to this service feel like a different person. Recently, Haircuts with Heart won the Jefferson Award that honors individuals and non-profits that help their community by volunteering.