JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For a group of men who faced their judgment, Ruth Blackwood-McKenzie holds the key to hope in a judgment-free zone.
“I get all kinds of walk of life come in here, dirty hair whatever, and they leave here with a smile,” Blackwood-McKenzie told First Coast News.
Every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon, Blackwood-McKenzie cuts hair for a dozen men who have just been released from prison. It’s called Ruth’s Chair; it's her salon, barbershop and ministry by Lakeshore Baptist Church.
“I love to cut, I am scissor happy,” she said.
Blackwood-McKenzie not only cuts for men out of prison, but anyone who can't afford a haircut. Word has spread around town so much so, that lines wrap around her shop just behind Lakeshore Baptist in Jacksonville.
“The Lord placed this on my heart in 2017," she said. "So, I give God the glory first of all and Lakeshore Baptist, my church family.”
For five years, Blackwood-McKenzie has cut the hair of those in need. Even through her own trials, she stays resilient in cutting hair amid an ongoing fight against breast cancer.
“It’s very fulfilling to watch them when they come or they’re outside when I pull up, and they’re outside waiting for me,” she said.
Giving dignity with a haircut, and nothing in return.
"When they come out of the chair and they’re smiling, they are just so thankful," Blackwood-McKenzie said. "That’s enough for me."
And it's all because being judgment-free doesn’t cost a thing.
"It is my gift, and it’s my talent, so I’m using it," said Blackwood-McKenzie.