When Ellie Ollenberger, a 22-year-old hair stylist at Bromley Hair Lounge in Maple Ridge, B.C., volunteered to cut hair for a women’s day in downtown Vancouver, an idea came alive.

I grew up with the people in this community, she thought. I need to do something to make a difference in their lives.

God at Work

Ellie drove past The Salvation Army’s Ridge Meadows Ministries every day on her way to work. Although she’s never been homeless herself, she had a friend who was a client there.

“I decided this Salvation Army shelter was a good place to start volunteering.”

Amelia Norrie, the fundraising co-ordinator at Ridge Meadows, shares about the different ways they serve people.

“Our outreach has two main parts,” she explains, “our shelter ministry and our community and family services ministry.”

While the two ministries operate in tandem, they help two very different groups of people.

“At our shelter, we focus on providing our guests with the basic needs of food, clothing and assistance,” Amelia explains. When Ellie volunteered to give free haircuts, the directors were grateful they could offer their clients more than basic physical needs.

Samantha Mann, the volunteer co-ordinator at Ridge Meadows Ministries, was the first person Ellie contacted.

“When she offered to give free haircuts to our shelter clients, I was genuinely grateful,” says Samantha.

“It was such a thoughtful and practical way to serve, and it met a need we often see but don’t always have the resources to fill.”

Samantha feels that Ellie’s generosity has made a real impact.

“For many of our clients, a haircut isn’t just about appearance—it’s about feeling confident and cared for. I do believe it was one of those moments where you can really see God working through someone.”

The Gift of Hope

Ellie takes her gift of cutting and styling hair a notch higher during the one day a month that she volunteers at the Maple Ridge shelter. Free haircuts are her way to lift people’s spirits and offer them a sense of dignity, which many marginalized people have lost.

“Giving back to my community is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” she says.

One recipient of Ellie’s service was Alan, a senior whose smile filled the mirror Ellie held up for him to look into after his haircut.

“I haven’t felt this great about myself in a long time,” he says, adding that having his hair cut offered him dignity.

A female client, Tara, related how she’d cut her own hair because she simply can’t afford a professional styling job. Her beautiful grin after the cut told the story: her confidence had been recharged.

As a person who recently completed her first year of sobriety, Ellie understands what it’s like to need help, to feel alone. The compassion she gained for others during her own recovery compels her to give back the hope she was offered. Jesus referred to people like Ellie when He said, “Whenever you did it for any of My people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for Me” (Matthew 25:40 Contemporary English Version).

To some, a haircut might seem like a simple thing, but to Ellie and those she helps, it’s a gift of hope.

Photos: Giuliano Mendonca

Author of six books and hundreds of published articles, Jeanette Levellie and her husband make their home in Paris, Illinois. Jeanette’s hobbies include spoiling her three grandchildren, pampering her cats and inventing new ways to avoid housework. Find her splashes of hope and humour at jeanettelevellie.com.

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