Inside a Salon on Wheels for the Homeless

  1. Jaclyn Skurie

A mobile salon offers dignity and community to the homeless in every city it visits.

Beauty In Transition tells the story of multimedia artist Jody Wood, who drives a mobile beauty salon around New York City providing cosmetic services to people in homeless shelters. Outfitted from an old ice cream truck, the salon on wheels offers free treatments such as hair washes, cuts, and color from a team of volunteer stylists. Ultimately, Wood aims to challenge the stigmatizing label of “homeless” by allowing participants to feel dignified by their physical appearances. The truck has previously operated in Philadelphia, Denver, and Lawrence, Kansas.

FIELDWORKS is a short documentary series presented by A Blade of Grass that explores the impact of socially engaged art. Explore all seven FIELDWORKS films on their website.

This video originally appeared on The Atlantic.

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