Justin Michael Parra is a Sam Villa Ambassador and stylist at La Bella Salon & Beauty Lounge in Waco, TX.
Through his work providing free hair and grooming services to people in his community who are unhoused or otherwise in need, “Justin has set an example of how artistry and compassion can come together to create a lasting difference,” says his mentor, Sam Villa.
“His dedication reminds us that being a hairstylist is about more than technique—it's about building connections, fostering confidence, and making a meaningful impact on the lives of those around us.”
Eight years ago when I was in beauty school, my mother, Cherie Jones, and I started a non-profit organization called Beauty from Ashes.
The goal was to team up with another organization called Mission Waco that holds an outside church service every Sunday under the I-35 bridge in Waco. She wanted to teach me the importance of giving back to the community and helping those in need.
As hair artists, we have a superpower that can radically change a person’s life … it has changed my life as well.
Having once been homeless myself — and coming from a life of drug addiction and alcoholism and having many family members that are addicts, unhoused and/ or incarcerated — it’s a constant reminder of where I come from.
We bought an old truck when we first started in hopes of fixing it up and turning it into a mobile salon so that we could wash hair and give people a full salon experience, but unfortunately it doesn’t run, and we haven’t been able to come up with the funds to repair it yet.
So instead, every spring and fall we go to Church Under the Bridge and offer haircuts and clipper trims to those in need.
I do this because I love these people. I love their hearts … their stories, and I love the huge smiles I see when I finish. I’m able to see them for who they are, not what they’ve done or what they’re going through.
I’ve learned that a good conversation and a haircut can inspire a lost soul to believe in themselves again.