Barber sets up shop outside to give customer in a wheelchair a haircut

Hope Schreiber
·Writer


Earlier this week, Victor Burgos was working at Joe’s Upscale Barber Shop in Webster, N.Y., when he noticed a man outside in an electric wheelchair. When he received a phone call and heard an electronically assisted voice ask if he had an opening, he realized it was coming from the man outside and that he was looking for a cut. Unfortunately, Joe’s is located in an older building, which means it hasn’t yet been made wheelchair-accessible.

Burgos, who has worked at the shop for three and a half years and two other barbers knew that it wouldn’t be possible to get the wheelchair and the man inside. But Burgos wasn’t deterred. He saw a man who was in need of grooming, and he grabbed his tools and set up shop outside.

“We weren’t going to be able to get this heavy duty thing in here so I took my cordless barber clippers, trimmers, shavers, and sheers, straight blade, comb — everything I need to give him the same haircut that he’d get if he came inside,” Burgos told Inside Edition.

While absorbed in his work, Burgos didn’t even realize his photo was being taken.

“He definitely needed a haircut,” Burgos said. “It looked like he hadn’t had a haircut in about a month. It was pretty shaggy [and] I know how good it feels to get that weight off of you. I could tell that he’s never had a good experience. I could tell without even asking him, and I just wanted to change it for him.”

Burgos’s skills and kindness earned him plenty of praise. The man was so pleased with his haircut that he sent his aide to go to the shop to get his own hair cut. On top of that, the shop’s owner, Joe Cocozza shared the moment on Facebook.

“I couldn’t be happier when I was told this story. I couldn’t be happier to work and know a person of such kind nature as Victor… He did not have to do this,” Cocozza wrote. “Vic is one of our busiest barbers and is always busy. So Vic thank you for being that [guy] and not only always proving what type of person you are but also being a CLASS ACT.”

The community, which is located near Rochester, was so moved by the barber’s professionalism, they’re rallying together to help provide the business with a wheelchair ramp. For now, Burgos doesn’t mind stepping outside whenever the customer needs a touchup.

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