Amazing makeover stories on the internet are hardly uncommon, but often once the initial excitement dies down, that's the last we hear about the person.
Which is a shame when the recipient of the makeover is a homeless person. We like to believe that the new look led to better opportunities to break the cycle of homelessness, but we rarely get any follow-up.
Instead, the owner of the shop, Alessandro, asked the homeless 45-year-old if he wanted a proper makeover.
Over the course of two hours, they gave him a haircut, beard trim, and provided him with a small wardrobe of new clothes.
All at no charge.
After Padoo shared the before and after on their Instagram page, the photos went viral.
When Bored Panda asked Alessandro about the decision to help the man, he said, "In this time of the pandemic, many people lost loved ones and others were left with financial difficulties."
For many of these stories, it would have ended there, but the viral photos were seen by one very important person: João's sister.
She and his mother called the store, hoping to get in contact with him through them.
Unfortunately, João has no fixed address or phone number.
Instead, his sister, Maria Coelho, traveled to the city.
With Alessandro's help, they walked the streets until they were able to locate him.
Though Maria offered to take him home to stay with her, João declined. According to Alessandro, João said he prefers the freedom he has now and the family respects that.
It's still a happy ending, since his family knows he's safe and healthy, and now João has a support network available if he needs it.
h/t: Bored Panda
