Portland, 1936. George’s Barbershop. Brothers Tommy and Frank opened it after Dad died. Sign said 25 cents. Depression hit hard. Kid came in, counted pennies: “Only got 15.” Tommy started cutting. Frank whispered: “We need every cent.” Tommy kept cutting: “Dad cut hair free when folks were broke.” Next day, boy’s father arrived—unemployed carpenter. “Let me fix your leaking roof for the haircut.” Fixed more than the roof. Became their partner. Shop survived 50 years. Tommy’s grandson found the photo: “Grandpa said kindness costs nothing but pays everything.” Some businesses run on profit. Others run on heart.
In the heart of Portland, 1936, during the depths of the Great Depression, two brothers—Tommy and Frank—opened George’s Barbershop in honor of their late father. The sign in the window read: Haircuts 25¢. Shaves 15¢. But in those days, even a quarter was a stretch for many.
One afternoon, a young boy walked in, clutching a handful of coins. “Only got 15,” he said. Frank hesitated. “We need every cent,” he whispered. But Tommy had already begun cutting. “Dad cut hair free when folks were broke,” he replied.
The next day, the boy’s father came by. He was an unemployed carpenter, worn down by hard times. “Let me fix your leaking roof for the haircut,” he offered. And he did—repairing more than just shingles. He stayed. He helped. He became their partner.
That act of kindness—born from empathy, not strategy—saved the shop. George’s Barbershop didn’t just survive the Depression. It thrived for 50 years, becoming a cornerstone of the community.
Decades later, Tommy’s grandson found the old photo. “Grandpa said kindness costs nothing but pays everything,” he recalled.
This story isn’t just about a haircut. It’s about human dignity, about how generosity can ripple through time. In an era when businesses were closing and families were fractured, Tommy and Frank chose compassion over caution.
They didn’t run on profit margins. They ran on heart.
Their legacy reminds us that small acts—cutting a boy’s hair, fixing a roof—can build something lasting. That in hard times, kindness is currency.
