11/20/2025
Joshua Santiago's mother has been free of addiction for over 279 days. Joshua has been documenting her journey to recovery. She entered a rehab program planning to stay for only 30 days, but once she saw the opportunity to change her life, she decided to stay for a full year, Joshua said. He grew up in the inner city of Philadelphia, and his mother was just 14 years old when she became pregnant with him.
From ages 12 to 17, Joshua was in and out of juvenile detention. By the time he was 24, he decided to finally change his life for the better and completed barber school. In 2017, Joshua founded a nonprofit called "Empowering Cuts." Today he travels around the United States in a mobile barbershop. He gives free haircuts to the homeless and to people dealing with addiction, just like his mother once did.
In an interview with PBS affiliate WHYY-TV, Joshua said, "I've had people that have sat in my chair. I was able to convince certain individuals to get clean. This is my job." Stories like Joshua's and his mother's are important because they are real. They're authentic. And they show all of us that people can change and that true redemption is possible.
📸 (Photo: Joshua Santiago / Empowering Cuts)
