Joe Black Barbershop Servicing Wounded Warriors

Joe Black Barbershop Honors Wounded Warriors with Haircuts

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Today is Veterans Day, a federal holiday observed annually honoring and remembering all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces, but for the past four years, Pearland-based Joe Black Barbershop has honored military veterans by providing haircuts to ensure that they are always looking and feeling their best.

“Veterans deserve the best,” said John Brown, owner of Joe Black Barbershop. “They have served our country to ensure that we always enjoy the freedoms we have, so it an honor for us to serve and honor them for everything they’ve done for us.”

Joe Black Barbershop provides professional barber services for military veterans participating in the ROVER program at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston as part of the Wounded Warriors Project.

ROVER is an intensive treatment program designed specifically for OEF/OIF/OND combat Veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD, substance dependence, mood, or anxiety disorder. ROVER is grounded in evidence-based treatments, provided mostly in group therapy. ROVER is a 4-week program housed in an inpatient psychiatric setting at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. After completing the program and acquiring new skills, techniques, and insights to improve quality of life, the Veteran will return to his home clinic and resume outpatient treatment.

Rochelle Atwood-Myles, recreation therapist for the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, said a simple haircut from Joe Black Barbershop has made a world of difference to veterans in the ROVER program.   

“It’s not just a haircut with Joe Black Barbershop,” Atwood-Myles said. “After receiving a haircut from staff at Joe Black Barbershop, our veterans have a boost of confidence; they walk taller, and feel good about themselves. It really is a unique experience for them.”

Atwood-Myles went on to note that over the past four years, partnering with Joe Black Barbershop, has given those participating in the ROVER program an opportunity for self-care, something that often goes overlooked. “They are so used to taking care of others, taking care of their family, taking care of our country, but this gives them the opportunity to receive self-care – and they really look forward to visiting Joe Black Barbershop for a haircut,” said Atwood-Myles. “Joe Black Barbershop has done a wonderful job for our veterans. It’s an experience that they always remember.”