All the other mothers loved Margie, who gave kids free professional haircuts every night. Hopefully, with luck and hard work, her positive attitude will take her far up and away from homelessness. Olive Branch Mission, Chicago. 1999

Donna Ferrato's photograph captures a scene at the Olive Branch Mission in Chicago, a place of hope amidst hardship, it is a symbol of community support. The photograph depicts Margie providing free haircuts. In this everyday act of grooming, we see echoes of ancient rituals of purification and transformation. Hair, across cultures, has been laden with symbolic weight. Think of Samson, whose strength resided in his hair, or the tonsure of monks, signifying devotion. Here, a simple haircut is an act of care, a symbol of dignity being restored. The smiles and camaraderie, too, resonate deeply. They evoke the human capacity for resilience and the importance of communal bonds. This scene, seemingly mundane, taps into our collective memory of shared experiences, of solace found in human connection. It reminds us that even in the face of adversity, hope and solidarity endure.