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Rob Cradle, best hair stylist

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The Best Hair Stylists inspire the rest of us

Hair stylists have a job that allows them to touch peoples lives in a number of unique ways. If they are good at what they do, they become good listeners, sometimes good joke tellers and sometimes they become someone who can physically make people feel better about themselves. That’s where this best hair stylist found his life’s calling, to make others feel good about who they are and therefore better equipped to fit into society.

“Best Hair Stylist
I Know”

I ran across this story in People magazines, “Hero’s Among Us,” piece and thought I’d share it here. All of us have opportunities to ‘give back’ and this is just one way a best hair stylist found to do that.

Robert Cradle opened the first African-American barbershop in the small town of Odenton, Maryland in 1991. He must have had some notion of what was to come because in his spare time he began taking classes on financial planning, fundraising and non-profit management.

A woman walked into his shop with her two foster sons, who Cradle realized had little money and he offered to wave his normal $12.00 haircut fee. He immediately felt the joy of giving, not just a free haircut, but a better feeling about themselves. As he watched them admire their new look, he says, “I felt that I was giving them care and security.” It was just a matter of months before he would start “Rob’s Community Barbershop Foundation.” He visited homeless shelters and gave free haircuts.

Cradle sold his shop in 2003 and has raised a reported $500,000 and contributions from individuals and foundations. With the money he can pay backup barbers and he has installed 7 chairs at two city shelters and a children’s home.

The foundation currently sponsors 3 in-house barber salons at local shelters. He approached the shelters and encouraged them to fill out an application for sponsorship. Then he sought out organizations interested in underwriting them for a year for the cost of equipment and construction, reported Adriane Watson, staff writer for, West County Gazette.

Mr. Cradel is a “fabulous resource,” say Ms. Zeitler development associate at St. Vincent’s Center, a therapeutic residential facility for emotionally and behaviorally-challenged children. “Children at the center often feel like they’re not good kids, but when they get to get their hair done they really feel special,” says Zeitler.

Thanks Rob Cradle for what you do as best hair stylist in my ledger.

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