LOUISVILLE (whas11) -- One homeless outreach group is looking for help to continue serving a community that relies on them.
Hip Hop Cares helps the homeless community every week by handing out hot meals, clothing, cold water and until last Sunday- haircuts.
"Everything that we offer is free," Founder Jeff Gill said.
The group has been serving the homeless community every Sunday at 1st and Broadway for several years. Haircuts has been part of that.
Gill said, "Not only does it mean something to the people who are getting their haircut, it means something to the people who are providing the haircut."
Last Sunday the Kentucky Board of Barbering received a complaint and sent an inspector to the site.
"The safety to the public is our number one objective so in the absence of no sanitation the inspector had said that these services can't really be taking place and then it was discovered that the individuals providing these services were also not licensed," Sonja Minch, Administrator for the Kentucky Board of Barbering, said.
Hip Hop Cares doesn’t have the same sanitary resources as a salon, Gill said, "it’s a stark comparison from a barber shop to a sidewalk."
But he said providing this service is important and Minch agrees, adding... it needs to be done right.
"It’s about getting a sanitary, professional haircut and the homeless deserve that just as much as you and I do," Minch said.
Now Hip Hop Cares is looking for help and the board wants to be part of that. Minch said she has reached out to local barber schools, asking if they would open there space up to be used for homeless haircuts.
Gill is also asking for the community’s support in finding a way to meet the sanitary standards.
Metro Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith said she too hopes the community can work together to make this work.
She said,“We are focused on providing safe, healthy services to our homeless population because everyone deserves equitable treatment. The time has come for everyone to respect EVERYONE. We appreciate good natured folks volunteering their time to help. In doing so, we want to make sure our homeless population is receiving high-quality service governed by industry standards. Let’s work together.”