December 2 2020
I AM GASTOWN: ALYSHA OSBORNE
Written by Gastown Admin
Photos by: Mihailo Subotic
“What better way to change minds than through art and show how something as small as a haircut can make you judge someone differently… because we aren’t that different.” – Founder of 2 Paycheques Away, Alysha Osborne
Frustrated by how poorly many treat residents of the Downtown Eastside, Founder of 2 Paycheques Away Alysha Osborne set out to change people’s perceptions, one haircut at a time.
2 Paycheques Away offers up free haircuts to people living in the Downtown Eastside. For those who are game, before and after pictures are taken to show the public in an attempt to address the stigma surrounding the Downtown Eastside.
Alysha’s stepmom lived in the Downtown Eastside in her 20s, making Alysha intimately familiar with the daily struggles of the neighborhood, even before she made the move to Vancouver.
When COVID first hit, Founder of Barber & Co Martin Rivard pitched a partnership with 2 Paycheques Away, fulfilling a long-time goal of running a community barber shop.
Along with offering haircuts, Alysha is now able to run monthly clothing and food drives, giving free Barber & Co products in return for donations. All of this is to accomplish a singular goal – to make people look good and feel good.
Stay tuned for Alysha’s full story and video feature once it’s safe to do so in regards to COVID-19.
#IAMGASTOWN