North Bay barber shop encourages clients to ‘pay it forward’ for strangers to get haircuts

A barber shop in North Bay is hoping its customers will help pay for haircuts for those in the community who can't afford them.

A barber shop owner in North Bay, Ont., has started a pay-it-forward initiative where clients can buy a haircut for someone in need or who is facing mental health challenges.

Clients can also pitch in a little extra to help subsidize the cost of a haircut for someone having a rough time.

Thursday morning, Aaron Gingras was getting a quick trim at AWOL Barber Shop. After his cut, he left a generous donation, paying it forward to the next client.

“I just want to be a part of it,” Gingras said.

“It’s important to give back. Everybody is going through a tough time.”

AWOL owner Ashley Willett said it’s similar to the way people pay it forward in the drive-thru when they pay for someone else’s coffee.

“We’re like a therapist to our clients and hear all the struggles in their lives,” Willett told CTV News.

“I just feel like everyone’s kind of out there for themselves, so it’d be nice to just give a small token towards somebody else to lighten their day.”

The pay-it-forward concept came after the barber shop staff participated in workplace training with YES Employment Services, led by employer support trainer Dustin Fay.

The training was meant to enhance staff’s understanding of mental health and disabilities and provide tools to help local businesses become more accessible.

“We don’t just want to be a very cookie-cutter program. So, I always try to tailor ideas to the specific business,” Fay said.

“That way they feel like there’s something that they can bring back to their business and do for the community.”

Willett said her staff embraced the idea and said it would be a good idea for the shop.

The barber shop’s acronym AWOL stands for ‘All Walks of Life.’

Willet said the name reflects the diverse clientele they serve. Some come in with financial struggles while others might come in feeling down in the dumps.

“You don’t have to buy a whole haircut for somebody. You can just donate $5, $10, or $2 even,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter what the amount you can put towards the haircut.”

Willett has been running the AWOL Barber Shop since 2019. She bought the business, which was formerly called Carmine’s Barber Shop, from the former owner.

She has a location on Trout Lake Road and another at 22 Wing/Canadians Forces Base on Duxford Drive.

Since starting the initiative, she’s received several donations and nothing but positive feedback.

Willet hopes people will spread kindness and be open to making someone’s day by pitching in for someone else’s snip. People can also stop by just to make a donation.

“It would be really special,” she said.

To learn more, visit the barber shop’s Instagram page.