Ronald McDonald House Charities^® Southwestern Ontario About Us

Haircuts going a long way

Meet Eddie the barber

With a passion for cutting hair and helping others, Eddie couldn’t wait to give back to his community by becoming a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House London. Not only does Eddie provide haircuts for families staying in House, he also provides family members with someone to talk to while they stay close to their seriously ill children.

Caregivers staying at the House are focused on their children and often do not prioritize taking care of themselves as they had before – that’s why providing haircuts at the House offers families the opportunity to bring some normalcy back into their lives. “A haircut goes a long way, especially here!” Eddie shared. Being a dad himself, opening a barber shop every other week has been a great way for Eddie to utilize his skills and make an impact on families who need it most. When asked what it means to be a volunteer at Ronald McDonald House Eddie shares,

It means a lot. I honestly feel proud to let people know that I volunteer here. It means a lot that I am able to give someone a haircut, brighten up their day and give them a distraction even if it’s just for twenty minutes. 

Eddie feels a sense of pride volunteering at Ronald McDonald House, and hopes to do more in the future to bring barbers shops to more Ronald McDonald Houses in Canada. 
 

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT VOLUNTEERING?
It’s amazing. There is no better feeling than knowing you are doing something for someone that isn’t going to repay you. Volunteering here has made me realize that you don’t need recognition. I hope to be an inspiration to other people and barber shops out there.
 

CAN YOU REMEMBER ANY INTERACTIONS WITH FAMILIES THAT LEFT AN IMPRESSION ON YOU?
Absolutely! Being a dad myself, there have been a couple of fathers that I had become close with while they stayed here. A lot of the families are not from this area so you meet people from far away. There are two families specifically that come to mind when you ask that, two dads that I started to build a strong relationship with when they were here for a long period of time. They were excited when they found out they could go home, it was really special to get to be there for them. We still bump into each other every now and then.