Tommy Andrade did something for himself by giving up an engineering career for hair-cutting shortly after moving here from Texas, in hopes of a more-balanced life. Now this West Seattle barber has found a way to do something for others too. Andrade is supporting foster kids, actually in two ways: Offering them free haircuts on Sundays, and donating 20 percent of his proceeds the first week of each month to Amara. He contacted WSB to get the word out more widely in the community – and in hopes of inspiring others to realize they can make a difference in the world too.

Andrade says he was inspired to help foster kids by two things: He has friends involved with the foster system, and he personally experienced the loss of a parent – he was just 10 years old when his dad died. Community volunteers helped him back then, via the Big Brothers program. Along with helping Amara financially, he’s also collecting other donations – toys and clothing (here’s the Amara wish list), and when the next school year gets closer, he plans a school-supply drive. (He’s also hoping to raise money through seasonal events, like a beard-trimming promotion.) He works at Rain City Barbershop in The Admiral District (just east of Safeway), and you can find booking/contact info on their website.