BROOKLYN, NY, April 23, 2018: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams hailed a first-of-its-kind empowerment partnership with Kennedy Conglomerate Inc., a venture started by local entrepreneur Kareem Kennedy, for a mobile barber service to which he has allocated $3,000 in discretionary funding to provide free haircuts for homeless neighbors in need across the borough. He joined New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Steven Banks in kicking off this pilot project last Wednesday at Bergen House, a 104-bed shelter for men over the age of 62 in Crown Heights; it will also be traveling to sites such as Bedford Atlantic Shelter in Crown Heights, Kingsboro Star Men’s Shelter in East Flatbush, and Linden Avenue Men’s Shelter in East New York. Borough President Adams underscored the importance of this initiative to uplift homeless individuals and families, part of his ongoing mission to “adopt” shelters through a mobilization of community resources and volunteerism.
“When you’re homeless or at risk of being homeless, getting a haircut is often a luxury that is expensive and inaccessible to many just struggling to survive,” said Borough President Adams. “Everyone deserves the dignity that comes with looking good and feeling good, including our neighbors in need. I hope it inspires others to serve in kind.”
“I would like to thank Borough President Adams and DSS Commissioner Banks for their partnership on this initiative,” said Kennedy. “I really wanted to impact people who could not go to the barber shop, and that is why providing these haircuts is so important.”
“Thanks to Borough President Adams for being a great partner on this issue,” said DSS Commissioner Banks. “This kind of volunteerism is so important to making an impact on homelessness and I hope more people do the same in getting involved to help others. We have much more work to do to alleviate homelessness citywide, and this kind of effort helps make a difference.”
“Not only are we turning the tide on homelessness, but we’re also working to ensure that there’s not one type of service model for the people who use our facilities,” said New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Administrator Joslyn Carter. “We have to tailor our services, and this project by Kennedy Conglomerate Inc. is one opportunity where men are getting haircuts, and when you look good, you feel good. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect no matter the circumstances or experiences.”
“Bergen House is an older men’s shelter so it is quite a unique place in the shelter system,” said Sabrina Soto, program director of Bergen House. “I want to thank all of my staff for helping to care for our residents and to all support staff across our City agencies helping to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Borough President Adams has championed a variety of innovative approaches to serving at-risk populations, including plans for a mobile shower service that will serve homeless Brooklynites, day laborers, sex workers, and runaway LGBTQ+ youth, which he announced in January through a partnership with Brooklyn Community Services (BCS), and Turning Point Brooklyn. He encourages others who are interested in getting involved in his efforts to combat homelessness to reach out to his office by emailing [email protected].
Last November, the Coalition for the Homeless estimated that there were more than 63,000 people in homeless shelters every night across the five boroughs, including more than 15,700 families in Brooklyn. The Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) street survey conducted by the City last February found nearly 4,000 homeless individuals on the street that night.
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