HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Harrisburg man is offering free haircuts and more to his local community.
Anthony Pierce-Rodriguez says he has been cutting hair for over 42 years, beginning by cutting his brother and neighbor's hair when he was 13-years-old to begin learning.
"This is my dream, right here," Pierce-Rodriguez explained, motioning to his mobile barbershop. "I built a nonprofit foundation bus where I can go ahead and give out free haircuts to the community."
However, he isn't just giving out free, fresh looks.
As Pierce-Rodriguez explains, visiting the barbershop and talking with the barber can be a good experience for those dealing with issues in their lives.
"It's also more than going to a psychiatrist," Pierce-Rodriguez said. "You have issues, mental, it doesn't matter what is... you have somebody you can come talk to. Being in a barbershop, sitting around a barber, you open up a lot more cause its a home away from home where you can really let loose."
By being a veteran member of the community, Pierce-Rodriguez believes he offers more than just haircuts to those in Harrisburg.
"I'm just more than barber," Pierce-Rodriguez said. "I can be a loyal friend."
"I can also give you the knowledge, the wisdom, and the advice that I have occurred in my own past life, and my life today on going through situations where your shoulders are weighing down and the monkey's on your back because I was in that atmosphere of being in the system, and God and grace have given me a second chance to be able to prove to myself that I can be a better person," he said.
"Not just for me, but for the community," he said.
Pierce-Rodriguez's mobile barbershop will be open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at different locations across Harrisburg.